Central serous chorioretinopathy significantly increases risk of heart disease

This retrospective, population-based study found that patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) had a significantly higher coronary heart disease rate than those without CSCR.

Researchers analyzed data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (2000–2009). The study cohort comprised 835 patients with a diagnosis of CSCR and 4,175 age-and gender-matched patients without CSCR.

The five-year cumulative incidence of coronary heart disease for patients with CSCR was nearly two-fold that of the non-CSCR cohort (6.12 percent vs. 3.29 percent, P = 0.004). The adjusted coronary heart disease hazard ratio of CSCR versus non-CSCR was 1.61 (P = 0.009). The hazard ratio was 1.72 (P = 0.010) in male patients and 1.34 in female patients (P = 0.438).

While the authors note several limitations to this study, they conclude that patients with CSCR should be educated about the possibility or risk of coronary heart disease since changes in their lifestyle may help prevent its development. They also advise that routine screening for coronary heart disease using electrocardiogram and other screening tests should be performed.