Red blood cell distribution width/albumin ratio (RAR): A novel predictor of retinal vein occlusion in the Turkish...

The purpose of this study was to assess how the red cell distribution width (RDW)-albumin ratio (RAR), an indicator of nutrition, oxidative stress, and inflammation, relates to the severity of retinal vein occlusion (RVO). 55 patients with RVO who presented to the Ophthalmology Polyclinic of Atatürk University Research Hospital between January 2025 and April 2025 and 30 healthy controls were evaluated. While 37 of the patient group had branch RVO (BRVO), 18 had central RVO (CRVO). Fundus fluorescein angiography was used to differentiate between ischemic and non-ischemic retinal vein occlusion in the patient group. All patients underwent comprehensive physical examinations, which included a thorough medical history and laboratory assessments such as complete blood count parameters, hemogram, RDW, and serum albumin levels. When the demographic and biochemical characteristics of the participants were compared by gender, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups. Similarly, although albumin levels and the RDW/albumin ratio (RAR) showed differences between the groups, these differences were not statistically significant (P = .108 and P = .109, respectively). RDW-CV values showed a statistically significant difference between the groups (P = .006). It was observed that RDW-CV values were significantly higher in the ischemic occlusion group. Although albumin levels differed between the groups, this difference was not statistically significant (P = .118). However, a significant difference in the RDW/albumin ratio (RAR) was observed between the groups (P = .016). This difference was found to be due to the comparison between the control group and the ischemic occlusion group, where RAR values were higher in the ischemic group. RAR demonstrates a significant association with RVO and offers a simple, cost-effective, safe, and readily available laboratory marker for assessing RVO severity. It can be considered that especially ischemic type RVO may be associated with high RAR level.