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Life
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Microvascular Research: Advances and Perspectives
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Microvascular Research: Advances and Perspectives

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1694

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Panagiota Anyfanti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: vascular pathology; endothelial dysfunction; hypertension; cardiovascular diseases; chronic inflammation; autoimmune rheumatic disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Theodoros Dimitroulas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration University Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 49 Konstantinoupoleos Street, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: autoimmune rheumatic disorders; rheumatoid arthritis; systemic sclerosis; microvascular injury; cardiovascular complications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the recent decades, our understanding of the microvasculature has greatly changed and is continuously expanding. The conventional concept of the microvasculature as an architectural component integral to all tissues has evolved to the perception of it as a dynamic cellular system with vital functions preserving tissue health and homeostasis. Rigorous, cutting-edge research in basic science and clinical medicine has focused on the evaluation of microvascular function and dysfunction in healthy conditions and diverse clinical settings. Microvascular dysfunction has emerged as a primary pathophysiological process that triggers and promotes the development of vascular complications in several systemic diseases, including hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and chronic inflammatory disorders. At the same time, the list of systemic diseases characterized by microvascular dysfunction is continuously growing, from more or less common clinical syndromes to novel clinical entities, including coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19).

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform to disseminate novel advances in the field of microvascular research. The scope of this Special Issue covers a broad spectrum of microvascular research for basic science, clinicians and translational researchers. Research subjects of interest include microvascular structure, function and dysfunction, microvascular biology, physiology, pathophysiology, mechanistic insights, and related therapeutic advances. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the study of microvascular injury or dysfunction in the following areas:

  • Hypertension and cardiovascular diseases;
  • Chronic inflammatory and autoimmune rheumatic disorders;
  • Hematological and hemorheological disorders;
  • Novel entities characterized by microvascular injury.

Dr. Panagiota Anyfanti
Dr. Theodoros Dimitroulas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microvasculature
  • microvascular dysfunction
  • systemic diseases
  • pathophysiology
  • cardiovascular diseases
  • hypertension
  • therapeutic advances

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 789 KB  
Article
Correlation of Early Vascular Aging Ambulatory Score with Kidney Damage in a Hypertensive Population: A Pilot Study
by Georgios Samprokatsidis, Christina Antza, Ioannis Partheniadis, Smaro Palaska, Panagiota Anyfanti and Vasilios Kotsis
Life 2026, 16(3), 504; https://doi.org/10.3390/life16030504 - 19 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Background: Early vascular aging (EVA) reflects accelerated arterial stiffening and is closely linked to cardiovascular and renal target organ damage. The Early Vascular Aging Ambulatory score (EVAAs) estimates EVA using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and routinely available clinical parameters. We aim to [...] Read more.
Background: Early vascular aging (EVA) reflects accelerated arterial stiffening and is closely linked to cardiovascular and renal target organ damage. The Early Vascular Aging Ambulatory score (EVAAs) estimates EVA using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and routinely available clinical parameters. We aim to investigate the association between EVAAs-defined early vascular aging and markers of kidney involvement—particularly albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR)—in a hypertensive population. Methods: Fifty treated hypertensive adults undergoing 24 h ABPM were enrolled. All participants underwent laboratory evaluation, including serum electrolytes and 24 h urine collection for albumin, creatinine, sodium, and potassium. EVAAs was calculated using ABPM-derived parameters and established cardiovascular risk factors. Results: EVAAs was positively correlated with ACR (r = 0.276, p = 0.049). In addition, inverse correlations were observed between EVAAs and serum potassium (r = −0.290, p = 0.038) and serum sodium (r = −0.284, p = 0.046). Participants with moderately increased albuminuria tended to exhibit higher EVAAs values, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: EVAAs is associated with early markers of renal involvement in hypertensive patients, supporting its potential role as a non-invasive indicator of subclinical target organ damage. Larger studies are warranted to confirm these findings and to further validate EVAAs as a clinically useful marker of EVA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microvascular Research: Advances and Perspectives)
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16 pages, 588 KB  
Article
Microvascular Dysfunction in Patients with Prediabetes: Novel Methods Identify Impaired Microcirculation
by Stamatina Lamprou, Nikolaos Evangelidis, Nikolaos Koletsos, Ioanna Zografou, Anastasia Stoimeni, Gesthimani Mintziori, Vasileios Gkolias, Christina-Maria Trakatelli, Christos Savopoulos, Michael Doumas and Areti Triantafyllou
Life 2026, 16(2), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/life16020326 - 13 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 831
Abstract
Background: Skin and myocardial microvascular dysfunction in prediabetes remains underexplored, and limited studies have investigated the microcirculation in prediabetes in multiple vascular beds. This study aimed to examine microvascular alterations in patients with prediabetes, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and normoglycemic [...] Read more.
Background: Skin and myocardial microvascular dysfunction in prediabetes remains underexplored, and limited studies have investigated the microcirculation in prediabetes in multiple vascular beds. This study aimed to examine microvascular alterations in patients with prediabetes, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and normoglycemic controls without established cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the microcirculation was assessed using established and novel noninvasive techniques. The skin microvascular reactivity was evaluated using laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA). The myocardial perfusion was assessed by the subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR). The retinal microvasculature was evaluated using digital nonmydriatic fundus photography, the renal microvascular damage through the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), and the peripheral vasculopathy by the augmentation index (AIx). Results: Sixty-seven participants were included (22 controls, 24 with prediabetes, 21 with DM; aged: 55.9 ± 9.4 years). Patients with prediabetes and DM showed significantly reduced baseline-to-peak skin flux responses in LASCA compared with controls (p = 0.006), and lower SEVR values (p = 0.001). Moreover, no significant differences were identified in the retinal, renal, or peripheral microvascular indices. In multivariate analysis, systolic blood pressure and glucose were independently associated with skin microvascular dysfunction, while the heart rate and arteriovenous ratio were associated with the SEVR. Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study, impaired skin and myocardial microvascular function were observed in patients with prediabetes in the absence of overt CVD. These findings suggest that LASCA and the SEVR may serve as sensitive markers for the detection of early, subclinical microvascular dysfunction in prediabetes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microvascular Research: Advances and Perspectives)
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