Associations of retinal artery occlusion and retinal vein occlusion to mortality, stroke, and myocardial infarction: a systematic review

Retinal vascular events are perceived to be related to various cardiovascular complications. We conducted a systematic review to assess the relationship between retinal artery/vein occlusions (RAO/RVO) and the incidence of mortality, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI). A comprehensive electronic literature search selected 93 relevant studies between 1992-2015: 16 articles qualified for inclusion (7 for mortality rate and MI, 11 for stroke). No published articles examined associations of RAO to mortality or MI, but only to stroke. Because of the heterogeneity of studies, no meta-analysis was performed. The association with mortality risk was highest at similar to 34.7% in RVO subgroup; whereas for MI, the risk was comparatively lower at 3.9-5.7% for RVO. There was no significant difference in stroke rate when comparing central and branch RVO subgroups (6.5%), but was significantly higher at 19.6-25% in RAO. There is a positive association of retinal vascular events to mortality, stroke, and MI. RAO is associated with a higher risk of stroke. Given that RAO and RVO patients would generally present to ophthalmologists, their high cardiovascular risk should include a referral for cardiovascular assessment as part of their management protocol.