title: Cardiovascular and thrombophilic risk factors in patients with retinal artery occlusion.
abstract: This article evaluates the prevalence of cardiovascular and thrombophilic risk factors in patients with retinal artery occlusion. Forty-one patients with a first episode of a retinal artery occlusion underwent complete ophthalmic examination, routine blood testing and specific laboratory tests for thrombophilia, such as fasting and postmethionine homocysteine, lipoprotein(a), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, factor VIII, factor V Leiden, factor II G20210A polymorphism, lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies. The control population consisted of 100 healthy individuals comparable as regards age and sex. At univariate analysis, hypertension, smoking, dyslipidaemia (both high cholesterol and triglyceride levels), antiphospholipid antibodies, hyperhomocysteinaemia, elevated factor VIII and lipoprotein(a) levels were significantly associated with retinal artery occlusion; at multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, sex, traditional and thrombophilic risk factors, smoking, hypercholesterolaemia, elevated homocysteine and lipoprotein(a) levels confirmed their independent role as risk factors for retinal artery occlusion. In conclusion, the results of the present pilot study demonstrate that the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia and smoking and the 'thrombophilic burden' are increased in patients with retinal artery occlusion. Our findings may have implications for the management of these patients, suggesting the need for an intensive and tailored secondary prevention and new therapeutic approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart and Vessels, Thrombosis Center, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Viale Morgagni 85, 50134 Florence, Italy. r.marcucci@dac.unifi.it
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marcucci
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sodi
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giambene
authors.forename: Agatina Alessandrello
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Liotta
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mannini
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falciani
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abbate
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Menchini
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prisco
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications*; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010865:Pilot Projects; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D015356:Retinal Artery Occlusion / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D006710:Homocysteine