The Prevalence of Retinal Vein Occlusion: Pooled Data from Population Studies from the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia

Abstract

Objective-To summarize the prevalence of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) from studies in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Design-Pooled analysis using individual population-based data.Participants-Individual participant data from population-based studies around the world that had ascertained RVO from fundus photographs.Methods-Each study provided data on branch RVO and central RVO by age, sex, and ethnicity. Prevalence rates were directly age and sex standardized to the 2008 world population aged 30 years and older. Estimates were calculated by study and, after pooling, by ethnicity. Summary estimates included studies in which RVO was assessed from fundus photographs on ≥2 fields of both eyes. Main Outcome Measures-Any RVO, CRVO, or BRVO.Results-The combined pooled data contained 68,751 individuals from 15 studies, with participants' ages ranging from 30 to 101 years. In analyses of 11 studies that assessed ≥2 fundus fields of both eyes (n=49,869), the age-and sex-standardized prevalence was 5.20 per 1000 (confidence interval [CI], 4.40-5.99) for any RVO, 4.42 per 1000 (CI, 3.65-5.19) for BRVO, and 0.80 per 1000 (CI, 0.61-0.99) for CRVO. Prevalence varied by race/ethnicity and increased with age, but did not differ by gender. The age-and sex-standardized prevalence of any RVO was 3.7 per 1000 (CI, 2.8-4.6) in whites (5 studies), 3.9 per 1000 (CI, 1.8-6.0) in blacks (1 study), 5.7 per 1000 (CI, 4.5-6.8) in Asians (6 studies), and 6.9 per 1000 (CI,3) in Hispanics (3 studies). Prevalence for CRVO was lower than BRVO in all ethnic populations. On the basis of these data, an estimated (CI, adults are affected by RVO, with 2.5 million (CI, 1.9-3.1) affected by CRVO and 13.9 million (CI, 11.5-16.4) affected by BRVO. Study limitations include non-uniform sampling frames in identifying study participants and in acquisition and grading of RVO data.Conclusions-Our study provides summary data on the prevalence of RVO and suggests that approximately 16 million people may have this condition. Research on preventive and treatment strategies for this sight-threatening eye disease is needed.Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is one of the most common causes of acquired retinal vascular abnormality in adults and a frequent cause of visual loss. Despite being recognized at least as early as 1855 1 and the subject of more than 3000 publications, there are few data on the prevalence of RVO in the general population, with current estimates derived largely from studies in white populations. [2][3][4] More recently, population data have emerged from other racial/ ethnic groups, such as in Chinese, 5 Hispanics, 6 and Asian Malays. 7 The reported prevalence of RVO varies between 0.3% 4 and 1.6%. 3 The variability in prevalence rates is likely related to the small number of RVO cases in any single study, differing study methodologies (e.g., retinal photography), and possible racial/ethnic differences in distributions of RVO risk factors.Because of these limitations, estimates of RVO prevalence have been imprecise. Furthermo...

Influence of diabetes and diabetes type on anatomic and visual outcomes following central rein vein occlusion

“…Previously reported prevalence of CRVO overall ranges from 0.1% 4 to 0.8%. 5 In the current study, the prevalence of 0.5% is consistent with prior reports. Although patients with CRVO have a higher prevalence of DM than the general population, 16,[21][22][23][24] in the current study the prevalence of CRVO in DM patients was 0.5%, and was not statistically different than the prevalence of 0.4% observed in the nondiabetic patients.…”

“…[1][2][3] Population-based studies estimate that the prevalence ranges from 0.1% 4 to 0.8% 5 and that the 15-year cumulative incidence is 0.5%. 6 CRVO is observed in all age groups, with increasing incidence with advancing age.…”

The burden of disease of retinal vein occlusion: review of the literature

“…Globally, an estimated 16.4 million adults are affected by RVO (2.5 million by CRVO and 13.9 million by BRVO). 4 The age and sex standardized prevalence is 5.20 (per 1000) for any RVO, 4.42 for BRVO, and 0.80 for CRVO in the population aged Z30 years. 4 The prevalence of RVO in individual studies ranged from 0.3 11 to 2.1% 7 in populations older than 40 years, with the prevalence of RVO highest in Japan and Australia and lowest in Europe and Singapore ( Table 1).…”

“…In addition to one pooled analysis of existing data, 4 Eye subtypes were identified (three from the United States, and one each from Australia, China, Japan, and Singapore). [5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Although prevalence data from European countries are not available in published reports, the investigators in the EUREYE and Rotterdam Eye study were contacted by Rogers et al 4 and the data from these two studies were included in the pooled analysis and separately reported by Rogers et al 4 Overall, the prevalence of RVO appears to be fairly constant across all countries (Table 1).…”

Combination therapy of intravitreal bevacizumab with single simultaneous posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide for macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion

“…Macular edema (ME) is a common complication as a major cause of visual loss in BRVO patients. 1,2 Although the exact mechanism of ME in BRVO is not fully understood, ME is thought to be caused by the flux of fluid from the blood vessels to the tissue, because of breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier as a result of damage to the tight junctions of capillary endothelial cells, enhanced expression of inflammatory cytokines such as prostaglandins and interleukin 6, and increased secretion into the vitreous of vasopermeability factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) produced in the retina. [3][4][5][6][7] Several recent studies have reported that VEGF has an important role in the pathophysiology of ME by inducing blood-retinal barrier breakdown and increasing vascular permeability.…”