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Systemic Hypertension as an Independent Risk Factor for Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy: Evidence from Indian
Rupak Kanti Biswas1, Jay U Sheth2, Krishnendu Nandi1
1Senior Vitreo Retina Surgeon, Netralayam - The Superspeciality Eye Care Centre, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Purpose:
To determine the association between hypertension and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and to identify demographic subgroups with enhanced susceptibility.
Methods:
This retrospective case-control study enrolled 101 patients with PCV and 101 age-matched controls without retinal disease. The primary outcome was the odds ratio (OR) for PCV comparing both groups. Secondary analyses examined age- and gender-stratified associations. Logistic regression adjusted for age and gender.
Results:
Hypertension was significantly more prevalent in PCV cases (84.2%, 85/101) compared to controls (60.4%, 61/101), with an unadjusted OR of 3.48 (95% CI: 1.79-6.78; P<0.001). The association was particularly strong in patients older than 70 years (OR=7.14, P=0.001) and in males (OR=3.34, P=0.002). After adjustment for age and gender, hypertension remained an independent risk factor for PCV (adjusted OR=3.43, 95% CI: 1.72-6.82; P<0.001). Multicollinearity was absent (all Variance Inflation Factor [VIF]<3).
Conclusion:
Hypertension is a significant independent risk factor for PCV, with increased risk in elderly and male patients. These findings suggest a mechanistic link between systemic hypertensive vascular disease and choroidal vasculopathy development and may inform clinical screening and risk stratification in hypertensive populations.
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