Marie Ørskov1,2, Henrik Vorum3, Torben Bjerregaard Larsen4,5, Gregory Y H Lip5,6, Toke Bek7, Flemming Skjøth5,8. 1. Department of Cardiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Hobrovej 18-22, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark. marie.oerskov@rn.dk. 2. Aalborg Thrombosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark. marie.oerskov@rn.dk. 3. Department of Ophthalmology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark. 4. Department of Cardiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Hobrovej 18-22, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark. 5. Aalborg Thrombosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark. 6. Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Liverpool and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK. 7. Department of Ophthalmology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark. 8. Unit for Clinical Biostatistics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To investigate the relationship between risk factors for retinal artery occlusion (RAO) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and thereby identify similarities and differences between the two types of retinal vascular occlusions. METHODS: In this case-control study, 5708 patients with RAO were included and matched with three patients with RVO each. The patients with RVO were matched on sex and age at index date. All patients, personal information, diagnoses, and prescriptions were obtained from the Danish nationwide registries. Adjusted conditional logistic regression was used to investigate the association of RAO and RVO with the included risk factors. RESULTS: RAO was stronger associated with arterial hypertension, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, peripheral artery disease, and stroke than RVO, with effect measures ranging from 1.10 to 2.21. RVO was associated with cataract and glaucoma with effect measures of 0.80 (95% CI 0.73-0.87) and 0.65 (95% CI 0.56-0.76), respectively. CONCLUSION: Differences in the level of associations with the included risk factors suggests differences in the pathophysiologies of the two diseases. The main pathophysiology associated with RAO was atherosclerosis, whereas the main pathophysiology associated with RVO was changes in the pressure gradients of the eyes.
BACKGROUND: To investigate the relationship between risk factors for retinal artery occlusion (RAO) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and thereby identify similarities and differences between the two types of retinal vascular occlusions. METHODS: In this case-control study, 5708 patients with RAO were included and matched with three patients with RVO each. The patients with RVO were matched on sex and age at index date. All patients, personal information, diagnoses, and prescriptions were obtained from the Danish nationwide registries. Adjusted conditional logistic regression was used to investigate the association of RAO and RVO with the included risk factors. RESULTS: RAO was stronger associated with arterial hypertension, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, peripheral artery disease, and stroke than RVO, with effect measures ranging from 1.10 to 2.21. RVO was associated with cataract and glaucoma with effect measures of 0.80 (95% CI 0.73-0.87) and 0.65 (95% CI 0.56-0.76), respectively. CONCLUSION: Differences in the level of associations with the included risk factors suggests differences in the pathophysiologies of the two diseases. The main pathophysiology associated with RAO was atherosclerosis, whereas the main pathophysiology associated with RVO was changes in the pressure gradients of the eyes.