8 Jan 2026 • A new analysis found that patients with retinal vascular occlusion were at significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer disease and other dementias.

Researchers compared nearly 40,000 individuals with retinal vascular occlusion with almost 400,000 age- and sex-matched controls. Compared with controls, affected patients had a 57% higher risk of Alzheimer disease (HR 1.57), a 76% higher risk of vascular dementia (HR 1.76), and a 58% higher risk of all-cause dementia (HR 1.58). Elevated risks were observed for both retinal artery and retinal vein occlusion, with comparable risks for Alzheimer disease (HR 1.59 and 1.58, respectively), vascular dementia (HR 1.79 and 1.77), and all-cause dementia (HR 1.62 and 1.58).

The findings suggest that retinal vascular occlusion may serve as an early marker of neurovascular vulnerability and support closer cognitive monitoring in this population.

Source: Ophthalmology Retina | Read full story