An eye disorder caused by chronic cardiovascular disease

Retinal vein occlusion is a serious ophthalmologic condition that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment to avoid permanent vision loss. With acute onset of central vein occlusion, vision loss is sudden, unilateral, and painless. Vision loss from branch vein occlusion is typically less severe. Many chronic medical conditions put the patient at high risk for this problem, among them hypertension, diabetes mellitus, arteriosclerosis, and other types of cardiovascular disease. Primary care practitioners, who ordinarily see many patients with such chronic illnesses, are in an excellent position to diagnose retinal vein occlusion and to participate in its management through opthalmologic referral.