METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a meta-analysis to understand the association between retinal artery occlusion and the risk for acute coronary syndrome and all-cause mortality.
• They included 11 retrospective cohort studies published between 2015 and 2023 with more than 502 million participants across Asian, European, and American populations; retinal artery occlusion was present in 94,410 individuals, and the remaining participants comprised the control group.
• These studies reported the incidence of acute coronary syndrome (eg, myocardial infarction and unstable angina) or all-cause mortality after a diagnosis of retinal artery occlusion.
• Subgroup analyses assessed differences in risk by type of retinal artery occlusion, geographic region, and the presence of comorbidities such as atrial fibrillation, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes.

TAKEAWAY:

• Retinal artery occlusion was associated with a 1.56-fold increased risk for acute coronary syndrome (relative risk [RR], 1.56; 95% CI, 1.22-1.99) and a twofold increased risk for all-cause mortality (RR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.22-3.28).
• Subgroup analyses showed that patients with central retinal artery occlusion and Asian populations had higher risks for both acute coronary syndrome and mortality than those with branch retinal artery occlusion and non-Asian populations, respectively.
• Among comorbidities, atrial fibrillation was the strongest predictor of subsequent events of acute coronary syndrome (RR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.34-4.54), followed by hypertension (RR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.31-3.03), hyperlipidemia (RR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.42-2.44), and diabetes (RR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.11-2.46).

The researchers reported, that retinal artery occlusion may serve as a sentinel event or risk marker — rather than a direct etiologic factor — of systemic vascular disease. 

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/does-blockage-retinal-artery-signal-heart-issues-2025a1000mvq