Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk Scores and their Association With Vascular Structural Changes in Patients With Retinal Vein Occlusion

Abstract

The present study evaluated the changes in retinal vascular structure among patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) according to varying cardiovascular risk (CVR) scores. We analyzed clinical data, blood tests, ophthalmic exams, and macular vascular parameters measured with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and CVR scores. This study included 21 patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), 35 patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), and 60 control subjects with refractive disorders and no other abnormalities. In eyes with RVO, macular vascular densities in the superficial capillary plexus were significantly lower in all quadrants compared with controls (P < .05), while in the deep capillary plexus, significant reductions were observed in all quadrants except the nasal quadrant (P < .05). Both superficial and deep foveal avascular zone (FAZ) areas were significantly larger in RVO eyes compared with the control group (P < .001 for all). CVR scores were significantly higher in RVO patients compared with the control group (P < .001 for all). CVR scores were highest in CRVO patients (P < .001). Deep FAZ areas showed positive correlations with CVR scores. The present findings suggest that cardiovascular disease risk should be assessed in patients with RVO.