Innovative approaches in the management of hypertensive retinopathy: efficacy of novel pharmacological agents and imaging techniques in early detection and disease progression: a systematic review

Abstract

Hypertensive retinopathy (HR) is an eye complication that stems from hypertension, high arterial pressure that can lead to vision impairment due to damage done to the retina and other blood vessels. Traditional approaches to the control of this condition focus on achieving normal blood pressure levels with the help of hypertension medication. But recent developments in medicine have introduced other methods which entail the use of drugs and scans. The advancement in medication that currently has a stimulus to be made is the endothelin receptor antagonists and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors that targets certain pathophysiological pathways and improve the vasculature of the retina. However, antioxidant treatments seem to have certain benefits in terms of antioxidants since oxidative stress is known to be problematic. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCTA) has immensely contributed to upgrade the identification and monitoring of high-resolution (HR) images collectively thus making therapies earlier and more accurately. Further research should provide more information about the efficiency for these advancements and include them as a part of treatment to achieve better results with patients and prevent blindness.