Epicardial Fat Thickness in Patients with Acute Retinal Vein Occlusion

Background : Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is one of the most frequently occurring retinal vascular disorders. Epicardial fat thickness (EFT) has been associated with thromboembolic diseases, including atherosclerotic and neurovascular diseases. The relationship between EFT and RVO has not yet been explored. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether EFT is a marker for acute central RVO. Methods: A total of 64 acute central RVO patients that referred from ophthalmologist for routine cardiac check and 64 age-gender matched controls were included in the study. Echocardiographic measurement of EFT was recorded between August 2021 and May 2022 in Sakarya University Education and Research Hospital according to previously published methods. Results : In comparison with the control group, the statistically significant difference was found with regard to interventricular septal (p= .002) and posterior wall thickness (p= .005), left atrial diameter (p= .001), and aortic root diameter (p= .003). Moreover, acute central RVO patients had significantly higher epicardial fat thickness (7.04 ± 1.47 vs 4.20 ± 0.71 mm; P <0.0001). The multivariate regression analysis indicated that EFT and statin usage are independently predictors of RVO. Conclusions : The present study showed that, EFT and statin usage are independent predictors for the development of acute RVO.