Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria for patients with cardiovascular disease: * cardiovascular disease defined as one or more of the following: arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, heart failure Inclusion Criteria for healthy individuals: * BMI 18-29.9 kg/m2 * Non-smoker * Good general health, as determined by study personnel based on assessments of previous visits, including anamnesis, vital signs, physical examination and clinical laboratory parameters. Exclusion criteria for patients with cardiovascular disease: * Active ophthalmological (retinal) disease resulting in impaired visual assessment of retinal vessels (e.g. glaucoma, cataracts, retinal oedema). Exclusion criteria for healthy individuals: * Active ophthalmological (retinal) disease with reduced visual assessment of retinal vessels (e.g. glaucoma, cataracts, retinal oedema). * clinically relevant deviation in physical examination, vital signs, or laboratory parameters (based on the physician's clinical judgement). * a clinically relevant history of cardiovascular disease or any other previously known cardiovascular disease * History of clinically relevant neurological, gastrointestinal, renal, hepatic, psychological, pulmonary, metabolic, endocrine or other diseases * office blood pressure above or equal to 140/90 mmHg * Office heart rate outside of the following range: 50-99 bpm * regular intake of any medication for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (e.g. antihypertensive or antidiabetic medication) within one month before study inclusion * alcohol or drug abuse