RVO’s Link to Dementia Stems from Their Shared Risk Factors

A recent study possibly indicates that the connection between RVOs and neurodegenerative diseases causing dementia may be due to their shared pathogenesis and risk factors. Photo: Joseph W. Sowka, OD. Click image to enlarge. Recent investigations have revealed a link between retinal vascular alterations and dementia. These connections emphasize the potential of the retina to serve as a noninvasive window into cerebrovascular health and potentially aid in the early detection and monitoring of neurodegenerative conditions. Still, it remains unclear whether the presence of retinal vein or artery occlusions directly elevates the risk of dementia or if the association is primarily driven by their shared risk factors. Researchers in Boston attempted to learn more about the association between retinal vascular occlusions and dementia—and its different subtypes—by using a large, community-based dataset.The researchers found that the prevalence of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was significantly increased among patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO), retinal artery occlusion (RAO) and any retinal vascular occlusion, while the prevalence of vascular dementia was significantly increased in RVO and any retinal vascular occlusion. In the matched analysis, increased risk for all-cause dementia was seen in patients with any retinal vascular occlusion (hazard ratio; HR: 1.52) and RVO (HR: 1.38). However, when adjusting for covariates, retinal vascular occlusions did not show increased risk of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.“While retinal vascular occlusions alone do not independently increase the risk of dementia, they may serve as clinical indicators that prompt further investigation into cognitive decline,” the team wrote in their paper in Ophthalmology Retina.This retrospective longitudinal study consisted of 502,133 participants from the UK Biobank who were between the ages of 40 and 69 years at recruitment. There are 1,463 individuals with retinal vascular occlusion and 500,670 individuals without.The study authors did note that the increased prevalence of dementia seen in the unmatched analysis that did not remain significant in the matched analysis may be partly due to the result of significant differences in recruitment age between the retinal vascular occlusion groups (who were older) compared to the control group (who were younger). It is also possible that pathogenic differences in RVO and RAO may explain why those with RAO did not show increased prevalence of VD. The team remains confident that their results contribute to the ongoing discussion about the potential for ocular disease to serve as a biomarker for dementia.“Further studies should explore the utility of retinal vascular occlusions in dementia screening and incorporate genetic factors to more fully understand the relationship between retinal pathology and dementia,” they wrote.Click here for the journal source. Gao, Tuz-Zahra F, Vig V, et al. The association between retinal vascular occlusions and dementia: a UK Biobank retrospective longitudinal study. Ophthalmol Ret. August 2025. [Epub ahead of print]. 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.