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Myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident in patients with retinal vein occlusion

Winifred Werther1, Laura Chu, Nancy Holekamp

  • 1Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA. wwerther@jhsph.edu

Archives of Ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960)
|March 16, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) have a nearly doubled risk of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) compared to controls. Myocardial infarction (MI) risk was similar between groups. This highlights RVO as a significant risk factor for stroke.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a significant vascular event affecting the eye.
  • The association between RVO and systemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events requires further investigation.
  • Understanding these risks is crucial for comprehensive patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in hospitalized patients with and without RVO.
  • To quantify the risk of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events associated with RVO.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study utilizing a US population-based health care claims database.
  • Identification of patients with RVO and matched controls (age, sex).
  • Analysis of MI and CVA event rates and calculation of adjusted rate ratios (RRs) for RVO versus controls, accounting for covariates.

Main Results:

  • The incidence rate of MI was similar between patients with RVO (0.87 per 100 person-years) and controls (0.67 per 100 person-years), with an adjusted RR of 1.03 (P = .85).
  • The incidence rate of CVA was significantly higher in patients with RVO (1.16 per 100 person-years) compared to controls (0.52 per 100 person-years).
  • The adjusted RR for CVA was 1.72 (95% CI, 1.27-2.34; P = .001), indicating a nearly 2-fold increased risk in the RVO group.

Conclusions:

  • Patients with RVO exhibit a significantly elevated risk of cerebrovascular accidents (stroke).
  • No significant difference in myocardial infarction (heart attack) incidence was observed between RVO patients and controls.
  • These findings underscore the importance of monitoring for cerebrovascular events in individuals with RVO.
Abstract

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