Findings from a study published in the International Journal of Retina and Vitreous evaluated the correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in medical literature.
Give me some background.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with:
This association suggests a potential relationship between Vitamin D and disorders affecting retinal vasculature.
In fact: Previous studies have indicated that maintaining adequate levels of Vitamin D may be beneficial for preventing and managing RVO.
Talk about the study.
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, investigators searched four study databases (i.e., PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Embase) from inception to December 10, 2023, for observational/analytical papers on Vitamin D levels in RVO patients.
In total: Six relevant studies consisting of 589 participants were included in the meta-analysis.
Findings?
There was a significant association between Vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of RVO (odds ratio [OR] 14.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.71-122.59, P=0.014).
Patients with RVO exhibited a significant decrease in serum Vitamin D levels by 1.91 ng/mL (95% CI -2.29 to -1.54, P<0.001).
Further, no significant difference was observed in Vitamin D levels between central RVO (CRVO) and branch RVO (BRVO) subtypes (P=0.63).
Any reason for the connection between Vitamin D and RVO?
RVO and Vitamin D deficiency are impacted by many similar risk factors, such as:
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidemia
- Cardiovascular disease
- Smoking
Consequently, it is unclear whether low Vitamin D directly contributes to RVO or if other confounding factors are involved in this relationship as well.
Tie it all together for me.
These findings suggest that RVO patients have higher Vitamin D deficiency than healthy patients.
With that in mind: These results contribute to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the role of Vitamin D supplementation as both a prophylactic and a treatment strategy in RVO.
Next steps?
Further research—particularly in the form of clinical trials—is required to explore the impact of Vitamin D supplementation on central macular thickness and the prognosis of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in RVO patients.