Inflammatory Bowel Disease Increases Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Risk

Inflammatory bowel disease may increase the risk of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), according to a paper presented at the American Society of Retina Specialists meeting, held in Seattle, July 28 to August 1, 2023.

Researcher Marc Mardelli, MD, a resident at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, led a research team in exploring correlations between CRVO and Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. The team included 45,858,310 participants from a database of more than 360 hospitals and 26 health care systems, who presented for treatment between 1999 and 2022. 

Patients aged 18 to 65 years, who did not have glaucoma, pregnancy, or an autoimmune disease apart from inflammatory bowel disease participated in the study, which accounted for potential confounders including history of ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, smoking, oral contraceptive use, and hypertension.

During the course of 20 years, irritable bowel disorder, Crohn disease, and ulcerative colitis were most prevalent among patients aged 35 to 40 years or 60 to 65 years, the report shows. 

Univariate regression analysis revealed an elevated risk of developing CRVO in patients with Crohn disease (OR, 7.01), ulcerative colitis (OR, 7.55), type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR, 8.40), hyperlipidemia (OR, 8.58), or hypertension (OR, 9.43).

Multivariate regression analysis confirmed these increased risks in patients with hyperlipidemia (OR 4.66), type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR 2.69), Crohn disease (OR 4.85), and hypertension (OR 2.41) and revealed increased CRVO risks in individuals who smoked (OR, 1.49) or used oral contraceptive pills (OR, 1.63). These risks remained significant after controlling for ulcerative colitis.

“Our study illustrates a significantly increased risk of central retinal vein occlusion in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis independently of any confounding variables,” according to the investigators.