Home Cardiology Retinal Vein Occlusion Linked to Higher Risk for CV Events

Retinal Vein Occlusion Linked to Higher Risk for CV Events

Risks increased for stroke, MI, heart failure, PAD, all-cause mortality, but not CV mortality

MONDAY, Sept. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, according to a review published in the September issue of Retina.

Chris Y. Wu, M.D., formerly of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in New York City, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the correlation between baseline RVO and incident cardiovascular events and/or mortality. Data were included from 15 cohort studies with 474,466 patients (60,069 with RVO and 414,397 without RVO); each had a Newcastle-Ottawa scale score ≥6, indicating moderate-to-high quality.

The researchers observed correlations between RVO and an increased risk for stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, and all-cause mortality (pooled risk ratios, 1.45 [95 percent confidence interval (CI), 1.31 to 1.60], 1.26 [95 percent CI, 1.17 to 1.37], 1.53 [95 percent CI, 1.22 to 1.92], 1.26 [95 percent CI, 1.09 to 1.46], and 1.36 [95 percent CI, 1.02 to 1.81], respectively). There was no correlation between RVO and an increased risk for cardiovascular mortality (pooled risk ratio, 1.78; 95 percent CI, 0.70 to 4.48).

“More studies are needed to clarify the association of RVO and cardiovascular mortality, to determine the highest risk period for cardiovascular events/mortality after RVO, and to determine whether immediate cardiovascular evaluation, intervention for primary or secondary prevention, or counseling will decrease subsequent cardiovascular events or all-cause mortality,” the authors write.

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