Fibrinogen, cholesterol and smoking as risk factors for non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy.

Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (AION) is thought to be due to occlusion of the posterior ciliary circulation. Raised lipid and fibrinogen concentrations are recognised risk factors for vessel occlusion in cardiovascular disease and stroke but, although suspected as risk factors in non-arteritic AION, they have not been studied in this condition. We therefore performed a case-control study on 41 patients with non-arteritic AION, looking at these and other atherosclerotic risk factors. The odds ratio of cholesterol being > 6.5 mmol/l in non-arteritic AION was 2.7 (95% confidence interval 1.09 to 6.65; p < 0.05) and of fibrinogen being > 3.6 g/l was 5 (2.66 to 9.39; p < 0.05). Smoking was also found to be significantly associated with non-arteritic AION, the odds ratio being 16 (3.23 to 79.23; p < 0.001). These were the only risk factors found to be significantly associated with non-arteritic AION. This raises the possibility that appropriate medical management of these factors could be given to prevent recurrence in the fellow eye.