The following is a summary of “Development of Dementia in Patients With Retinal Vascular Disease,” published in the 2023 issue of Ophthalmology by Prasad et al.

Researchers performed a prospective study to investigate whether patients with retinal vascular disease (RVD) are at an increased risk of developing dementia.

The study investigated 396 individuals with RVD, comprising 325 with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and 71 with retinal artery occlusion (RAO). They were compared to 792 controls matched for age and sex. The study used logistic regression to assess the likelihood of dementia, accounting for age, sex, race, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, stroke, and coronary heart disease.

The study found that individuals with RVD had a greater risk of dementia (odds ratio [OR]: 1.73, P < .01) compared to the control group. Among Black individuals with RVO, the risk of dementia was significantly elevated (17.6%, OR: 2.04, P = .014) compared to those without RVO (8.7%). White individuals with RVO did not show a difference in dementia risk compared to controls (7.7%) vs. (6.1%, P = .40). Central RVO cases had a significantly higher likelihood of dementia compared to controls (OR: 2.44, P = .002), while branch RVO and RAO cases did not exhibit an increased risk of dementia compared to controls (P = .09 and P = .70, respectively). 

The study found people with retinal vascular disease (RVD), especially central RVO, are more likely to develop dementia. Black people with RVO are twice as likely to develop dementia as Black people without RVO. This link is not seen in White people.

Source: aao.apprisor.org/apsSession.cfm?id=PO548