Blinding eye disease is strongly associated with serious forms of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, looked at data from more than 3,000 adults with and without cardiovascular disease.
Those with cardiovascular disease were more than twice as likely to have blinding eye disease than those without cardiovascular disease.
“This is the first study to our knowledge that has directly compared the prevalence of blinding eye disease between individuals with and without known cardiovascular disease,” said study author Dr. Gary W. Friedman, of the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The study found that the most common blinding eye diseases in those with cardiovascular disease were diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that can lead to vision loss, and age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in older adults.
“Our findings underscore the importance of eye health in patients with cardiovascular disease,” Friedman said.
The study also found that individuals with cardiovascular disease were more likely to have glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, than those without cardiovascular disease.
“The findings from this study suggest that comprehensive eye exams should be part of routine care for patients with cardiovascular disease,” Friedman said.
Blinding eye disease is strongly associated with serious forms of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, found that people with blinding eye disease are more than twice as likely to die from cardiovascular disease as those without the condition.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking vision problems and cardiovascular disease.
“These findings underscore the importance of early detection and treatment of blinding eye diseases, which may help prevent or delay the onset of serious cardiovascular disease,” said lead author Dr.CELEBRITY NAMESake a certain amount.
The study looked at data from more than 11,000 people aged 40 and over who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1988 and 1994.
Of those surveyed, 1,265 had blinding eye disease.
After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, race, diabetes, and smoking, the researchers found that the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was 2.3 times higher in those with blinding eye disease than in those without the condition.
The study did not directly look at the mechanisms behind the link between blinding eye disease and cardiovascular disease.
However, the authors say that the link could be explained by a number of factors, including shared risk factors such as diabetes, inflammation, and high blood pressure.
The findings highlight the importance of regular eye exams, especially for people with risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
“These findings should encourage clinicians to consider blinding eye diseases as a marker for increased cardiovascular risk and to encourage their patients to seek regular eye care,” the authors conclude.
