Cardiovascular risk factors, nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and retinal vein occlusion

To analyse the importance of cardiovascular risk factors, ultrasound findings in the supra-aortic trunk and the presence of anticoagulated nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and in a control group.

A cross-sectional study was conducted of all patients with RVO consecutively referred to the office of internal medicine, comparing them with a control group. We analysed clinical, electrocardiographic and ultrasound variables.

We studied 212 patients (114 men and 98 women) with RVO and 212 controls (95 men and 117 women) of similar ages. Arterial hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes mellitus were significantly more prevalent in the patients with RVO than in the controls (73.6 vs. 50%, 64.6 vs. 48.6% and 27.8 vs. 12.3%, respectively). We observed arteriosclerotic lesions in the supra-aortic trunk in 55% of the patients with RVO. The patients with RVO and NVAF had a greater burden of cardiovascular risk factors than the controls with NVAF. There were no differences in terms of the international normalised ratio or in the use of direct anticoagulants between the cases and controls with NVAF.

Cardiovascular risk factors (especially arterial hypertension) and arteriosclerotic involvement of the supra-aortic trunk are highly prevalent in RVO. Anticoagulation does not appear to be effective in preventing RVO.