Risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, and death among patients with retinal artery occlusion and the effect of antithrombotic treatment

Purpose: To evaluate the risk of future stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and death of patients with retinal artery occlusion (RAO) and the effect of various antithrombotic treatments as secondary prevention. Methods: This cohort study was based on nationwide health registries and included the entire Danish population from 2000 to 2018. All patients with RAO were identified and their adjusted risks of stroke, MI, or death in time periods since RAO were compared with those of the Danish population. Furthermore, antithrombotic treatment of patients with RAO was determined by prescription claims, and the association with the risk of stroke, MI, or death was assessed using multivariate Poisson regression models and expressed as rate ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results: After inclusion, 6628 individuals experienced a first-time RAO, of whom 391 had a stroke, 66 had a MI, and 402 died within the first year after RAO. RAO was associated with an increased risk of stroke, MI, or death which persisted for more than 1 year for all three outcomes but was highest on days 3 to 14 after RAO for stroke, with an adjusted RR of 50.71 (95% CI, 41.55–61.87), and on days 14 to 90 after RAO for MI and death, with adjusted RRs of 1.98 (95% CI, 1.25–3.15) and 1.64 (95% CI, 1.28–189), respectively. Overall, antithrombotic treatment was not associated with any protective effect the first year. Conclusions: Patients with RAO had an increased risk of stroke, MI, or death. No protective effect of antithrombotic treatment was shown. Translational Relevance: These findings are relevant to the management of patients with RAO.