OBJECTIVE

To assess the 10-year incidence of retinal vein occlusions (RVOs) and associated factors in adult Chinese subjects.

DESIGN

Population-based, longitudinal study.

PARTICIPANTS

The Beijing Eye Study, which included 4439 subjects (age: 40+ years) in 2001, was repeated in 2011 with 2695 subjects participating (66.4% of the survivors).

METHODS

The study participants underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination. Fundus photographs were examined for the new development of RVOs, differentiated into branch RVOs (BRVOs) and central RVOs (CRVOs).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Incidence of RVOs.

RESULTS

Incident RVOs were detected in 51 eyes (49 subjects) with an incidence of 1.9 ± 0.1 per 100 persons and 1.0 ± 0.1 per 100 eyes. Incidence of BRVO was 1.6 ± 0.1 per 100 subjects (43 subjects [88% of patients with RVO]; 44 eyes), and incidence of CRVO was 0.3 ± 0.1 per 100 persons. Of 61 patients with an RVO in 2001 and 25 subjects reexamined in 2011, at least 4 subjects (7%) developed a second RVO. Incident BRVOs were located more often in the superior temporal quadrant and inferior temporal quadrant (32% and 34%, respectively) than in the superior nasal quadrant and inferior nasal quadrant (21% and 14%, respectively). In 35 eyes (80% of the BRVO eyes), the BRVO was located at an arteriovenous crossing. At the crossing sites, arterioles were found superficial to venules in 28 eyes (64% of the BRVO eyes). Macular edema was detected in 18 (37%) of all RVO eyes, including 13 (30%) of BRVO eyes. In multivariate logistic analysis, incident RVOs were associated with higher systolic blood pressure (P = 0.01; odds ratio [OR], 1.04), hypertension (P = 0.03; OR, 4.62), lower cognitive function score (P = 0.007; OR, 0.88), blood concentration of cholesterol ≥ 5.72 mmol/L (P = 0.007; OR, 3.29), and status after cerebral infarction/hemorrhage (P = 0.02; OR, 1.19). Incident RVOs were not significantly related to the intake of aspirin (P=0.37).

CONCLUSIONS

The 10-year incidence of RVOs in Greater Beijing (1.9 ± 0.1 per 100 persons) was similar to that in other studies on Caucasian populations. The 10-year incidence of RVOs was related to the known risk factors of arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and status after cerebral infarction/hemorrhage, as well as with a lower cognitive function score. Incident BRVO was approximately 6 times more frequent than incident CRVO. Macular edema was detected in approximately 30% of BRVO eyes.