RVO 'increases stroke risk'

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) patients are at a higher risk of having a stroke, a study has indicated.

People with RVO have an almost two-fold higher incidence of stroke, according to research published in journal Archives of Ophthalmology.

In RVO, a retinal vein is compressed by an adjacent artery, which causes blood flow turbulence, retinal ischemia and thrombus formation.

According to the authors: "Data suggest that physicians and patients should be aware of the possible increased risk of [stroke] but not of [heart attack] in patients with RVO."

Meanwhile, research published in the journal Neurology indicated that stroke patients are more likely to be dependant if they are depressed, older or have additional medical conditions.

In the study at Richard L Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Indiana University, researchers found that 20 per cent of stroke patients were seen to be dependent three months after the event.

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