Is there an association between Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy and cardiovascular disease?

In order to investigate whether there is a clinical association between Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy of the cornea and atherosclerosis, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease was studied retrospectively in 27 patients with Fuchs' dystrophy and in 27 age- and sex-matched controls. The presence of cardiovascular disease was judged from a patient history of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris or heart insufficiency treated by medicaments and was found in 44% of the group with Fuchs' dystrophy and in 11% of the control group (P less than 0.05). The hypothesis is advanced that there may exist a common endothelial factor of possible significance for the development of corneal endothelial dystrophy, as well as the development of atherosclerotic lesions.