Paper Title
Retinal Vascular Occlusion Is Associated With Risks Of Atherosclerotic Complications In Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract
Retinal vascular occlusion (RVO) is associated with cardiovascular disease in the general population, but the effect of these ocular diseases on the atherosclerotic complications of hemodialysis (HD) patients is unknown. A nationwide case-matched cohort study. Participants and Controls: Data from Taiwan National Health Institutes Research Database to identify 105,956 HD patients from 1997 to 2008. A total of 297 patients with RVO and 158 patients with RVH were enrolled and matched for age and gender (1:5 ratio) with patients without ocular disorders (WOD). A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was used. There were no significant differences in overall mortality among patients with RVO and WOD. Patients with RVO had higher risks of ischemic stroke (HR=2.23, p < 0.001), coronary artery disease (CAD) (HR=1.44, p=0.003), and peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) (HR=2.13, p=0.001) relative to patients WOD. In conclusion, there was no significant effect of RVO on the 3-year mortality of HD patients. However, HD patients with RVO had increased risks of ischemic stroke, CAD, and PAOD. Thus, it is mandatory to pay attention to atherosclerotic complications in HD patients with RVO. Keywords- Retinal vascular occlusion; atherosclerotic complications; hemodialysis.