The eye's retina can show a risk of heart failure

The eye's retina can show a risk of heart failure
Microaneurismas, retinal haemorrhages and cotton patches, along with other signs of retinopathy independent risk factors for heart failure-even in patients without diabetes or hypertension. This is the main conclusion of a population-based, prospective study published in January in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

According to Ten Wong from the University of Melbourne, Australia, is a known marker for systemic cardiovascular retinopathy disease. The author adds that "is growing evidence that coronary cardiovascular ysfunction can be an underlying mechanism among patients with symptoms and findings on myocardial ischemia, which can not detect Coronary lesions angiography".

In this study, nearly 12,000 people between 49 and 73 years followed for seven years. They got taken retinal photographs between 1993 and 1995. Retinal changes were assessed according to a standardized protocol. A total of the incidence of heart failure was 5% (492 hospitalizations or deaths). It was three times higher among patients with retinopathy (15 vs. 5%).

Even after adjusting for age, prior coronary disease, blood pressure, diabetes and Glycemic level and so on, had patients with retinopathy a relative risk of heart failure in two.