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Sudden Vision Loss and Mortality: The Jackson Heart Study
Paul B Greenberg1,2,3, Allison J Chen1,2,3, Wen-Chih Wu4,5
1a Division of Ophthalmology , Alpert Medical School, Brown University , Providence , RI , USA.
Ophthalmic Epidemiology
|August 24, 2016
Summary
Sudden vision loss (SVL) in African Americans is linked to future stroke and death. However, SVL may not independently predict these events, but rather indicate underlying cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Ophthalmology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Sudden vision loss (SVL) is a concerning symptom.
- Its role as an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, specifically in African Americans, remains unclear.
- This study investigates the association between SVL and future CVD events in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if self-reported SVL lasting 24 hours or longer is an independent marker for future stroke or myocardial infarction (MI) and mortality.
- To examine the association between SVL and future adverse cardiovascular outcomes in African Americans.
Main Methods:
- The Jackson Heart Study (JHS) cohort, comprising 4670 African Americans aged 20-95, was analyzed.
- Participants without prior coronary heart disease or stroke were included.
- Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to assess the association between SVL (n=142) and risks of stroke/MI and mortality over 10 years of follow-up.
Main Results:
- Unadjusted analyses showed SVL was significantly associated with increased hazards of future stroke/MI (HR 2.08) and mortality (HR 1.73).
- After adjusting for CVD risk factors like diabetes, cholesterol ratio, smoking, and hypertension, these associations were no longer statistically significant.
- Adjusted HRs for stroke/MI and mortality were 1.51 and 1.29, respectively.
Conclusions:
- Self-reported SVL of 24 hours or longer is associated with future stroke/MI and mortality in African Americans.
- However, SVL appears to be a surrogate marker for underlying cardiovascular disease risk factors, not an independent predictor.