Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
07:22
Quantitative Fundus Autofluorescence for the Evaluation of Retinal Diseases
Published on: March 11, 2016
11.5K
Retinal Ischemic Perivascular Lesions in Individuals With Atrial Fibrillation
Christine Y Bakhoum1,2, Samantha Madala3, Leonardo Lando4,5
1Section of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics Yale University School of Medicine New Haven CT USA.
Journal of the American Heart Association
|August 14, 2023
Summary
Retinal ischemic perivascular lesions (RIPLs) are linked to atrial fibrillation. This finding suggests RIPLs may serve as a biomarker for detecting atrial fibrillation, aiding cardiovascular disease diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Retinal ischemic perivascular lesions (RIPLs) indicate retinal ischemia.
- RIPLs may serve as a biomarker for ischemic cardiovascular disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between RIPLs and atrial fibrillation.
- To determine if RIPLs are an independent predictor of atrial fibrillation.
Main Methods:
- Case-control study involving individuals aged 50-90 years.
- Macular spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging used.
- Retinal ischemic perivascular lesions (RIPLs) assessed by masked observers.
- Multivariable logistic regression analyzed the relationship between RIPLs and atrial fibrillation.
Main Results:
- Higher prevalence of RIPLs in atrial fibrillation patients (57.5%) compared to controls (37.4%).
- Presence of RIPLs significantly associated with atrial fibrillation (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.01-3.59) after adjustment.
- Association remained significant independent of cardiovascular risk factors and history.
Conclusions:
- RIPLs are significantly associated with atrial fibrillation.
- This association is independent of underlying ischemic heart disease and cardiovascular risk factors.
- RIPLs detected on OCT may inform cardiovascular workup for atrial fibrillation.
