BRVO Biomarker May Aid Early Identification of High-risk Patients

TyG index may reflect the metabolic and vascular factors underlying BRVO pathogenesis. BRVO is thought to arise from compression of the vein by the adjacent artery in their shared sheath due to atherosclerosis. Systemic conditions have been shown to accelerate atherosclerotic processes. Photo: Carolyn Majcher, OD. Click image to enlarge. After diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion is the most common retinal vascular disorder, often leading to unilateral vision loss. Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) has been consistently tied to systemic atherosclerotic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Many of these diseases are also associated with a biomarker called triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, which was first described for estimating insulin resistance in healthy individuals. Given this link, researchers investigated its relationship to BRVO to determine its diagnostic value. Their findings, published recently in BMC Ophthalmology, indicate that using TyG index in the clinic could aid early identification of those at risk for BRVO.The study included 49 patients with recent BRVO diagnoses and 50 matched controls. All study participants underwent a complete ophthalmic exam. Blood samples were collected to measure fasting glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.The researchers observed no significant differences in the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, HDL or fasting glucose between the two similarly aged cohorts. Those with BRVO, however, had significantly higher total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and TyG index. Using statistical modeling, the researchers determined that TyG was an independent risk factor for BRVO.Given this significant association, the researchers concluded that TyG index could serve as a simple, low-cost biomarker for identifying patients at higher risk for BRVO, especially those with cardiovascular or metabolic risk factors. They added that this could also “promote interdisciplinary strategies targeting both ocular and systemic vascular health.”Click here for the journal source. Öztürk C, Bolat S, Duran M, et al. Association between triglyceride-glucose index and branch retinal vein occlusion: linking metabolic risk to ocular vascular disease. BMC Ophthalmol 2026. [Epub March 31, 2026]. This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.