Study suggests Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of retinal vein occlusion

(Image Credit: AdobeStock/irissca)

Vitamin D supplementation may play a critical role in preventing retinal vein occlusion (RVO),¹ according to the investigators from the Isfahan Eye Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

The authors noted the growing body of evidence that suggests that maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D may be beneficial for preventing and managing RVO.² Therefore, they conducted a literature review and meta-analysis to analyze the relationship between the vitamin D levels and the incidence of RVO.

The principal outcome measures centered on the comparative assessment of vitamin D levels between patients with RVO and those controls without RVO.

The investigators reported that the meta-analysis included 6 studies with a total of 589 participants.

“The results indicated a significant association between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of RVO (odds ratio = 14.51; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.71, 122.59], p = 0.014); and patients with RVO exhibited a significant decrease in serum vitamin D levels by 1.91 ng/mL (95% CI: [-2.29, -1.54], p < 0.001),” the authors reported.

Another finding was that no significant difference in the levels of vitamin D was seen between central RVO and branch RVO subtypes (P = 0.63).

The investigators reached the conclusion that patients with RVO have more vitamin D deficiency compared with healthy controls.

“These results contribute to the growing body of evidence highlighting the intricate role of vitamin D supplementation as both a prophylactic and a treatment strategy in RVO,” the authors said.

They also offered the caveat that in order to comprehensively understand the potential roles and mechanisms, further investigations, especially clinical trials, must be undertaken that specifically explore the impact of vitamin D supplementation on the central macular thickness and the prognosis of the best-corrected visual acuity in patients with RVO. New information will help to improve treatment strategies.

References

1. Daneshvar K, Akhlaghi M, Iranpour S, Irajpour M, Pourazizi M. Vitamin D deficiency in patients with retinal vein occlusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis Int J Retin Vitr. 2024;10:52; https://doi.org/10.1186/s40942-024-00571-3

2. Karimi S, Parvizi F, Arabi A, Shahraki T, Safi S. Oral vitamin D supplementation and clinical outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab injection for macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusions. J Ophthalmic Vis Res. 2022;17:376–383.