Endothelial dysfunction and impaired arterial wall properties in patients with retinal vein occlusion

Abstract

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a common retinal vascular lesion, and a leading cause of visual impairment. Patients with RVO have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and share multiple common risk factors. In this study, we investigated the endothelial function and arterial stiffness of patients with RVO compared to healthy-control (CL) subjects. We enrolled 40 consecutive patients with RVO and 40 CL subjects. RVO was diagnosed by an ophthalmologist, endothelial function was evaluated by flow mediated dilation (FMD) in the brachial artery, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx) of the radial artery were measured to evaluate arterial stiffness and reflected waves, respectively. No significant differences were detected between the studied groups in sex, age, presence of hypertension or dyslipidemia, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels, total cholesterol levels, and smoking habits ( p > 0.05 for all). However, patients with RVO had impaired FMD ( p = 0.002) and increased PWV ( p = 0.004), even after adjustment for several confounders. Both FMD and PWV were also significantly and independently associated with the development of RVO. Furthermore, a significant and positive correlation between PWV and systolic blood pressure existed only in the CL group. Therefore, we have shown that RVO is associated with significant endothelial dysfunction and increased arterial stiffness. Our results strengthen the vascular theory, according to which, systemic endothelial dysfunction and arteriosclerosis play a significant role in the pathogenesis of RVO.

Clinical significance of subclinical atherosclerosis in retinal vein occlusion

“…However, these studies were conducted exclusively in patients with BRVO and did not control for confounding variables in statistical analysis. Our results are consistent with those of a previous study by Gouliopoulos et al 39 , which stated that patients with RVO have increased arterial stiffness by measuring the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and that elevated pulse wave velocity is significantly associated with RVO. However, their study had a limitation in that they had a relatively small sample size and did not show the results according to the classification of RVO (BRVO or CRVO).…”

Association of subclinical atherosclerosis with retinal vein occlusion: A prospective, case-control study

“…There are various methods for measuring arterial stiffness; however, baPWV is non-invasive and relatively simple to measure, making it widely used clinically because measurement of the baPWV requires only wrapping BP cuffs on four extremities. Our results are consistent with those of a previous study by Gouliopoulos et al 27 , stating that patients with RVO have increased arterial stiffness by measuring the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and that elevated pulse wave velocity is signi cantly associated with RVO. However, our data suggest that the role of arterial stiffness is greater in patients with CRVO than in those with BRVO.…”

Impact of kidney transplantation on the risk of retinal vein occlusion in end-stage renal disease

“…It is well known that endothelial dysfunction is induced due to up-regulation of various cytokines in sensitized KT recipients [35][36][37] . Therefore, we hypothesized that endothelial dysfunction and subsequent atherosclerosis, which are related to pathogenesis of RVO 38,39 , might contribute to the increased risk of RVO development in KT recipients with desensitization therapy.…”