ASSOCIATION OF METABOLIC SYNDROME AND ITS COMPONENTS WITH RETINAL ARTERY OCCLUSION

PURPOSE: To examine the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS), its five components (central obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertriglyceridemia), and retinal artery occlusion (RAO), and to assess whether genetic susceptibility to key components of the MetS (hypertension, hyperglycemia) interacts with these associations. METHODS: Based on the UK Biobank, Cox proportional hazards regression models were applied to assess the associations between MetS, its individual components, and the incidence of RAO. Restricted cubic spline analysis was applied to determine nonlinear trends in their associations. Polygenic risk scores of hypertension and diabetes were further used to assess the genetic interactions of MetS components with RAO. RESULTS: A total of 361,578 participants with a mean age of 55.94 years were included in the analysis. The risk of RAO was significantly higher in individuals with MetS (hazard ratios: 1.59, 95% confidence intervals: 1.05-2.42), as well as in those with its key components: hypertension (hazard ratios: 3.06, 95% confidence intervals: 1.52-6.16) and hyperglycemia (hazard ratios: 2.20, 95% confidence intervals: 1.27-3.83). Genetic analysis revealed that MetS was associated with a significantly increased risk of RAO in individuals with a higher genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes mellitus (hazard ratios: 3.20, 95% confidence intervals: 1.22-8.43). CONCLUSION: Metabolic syndrome, especially its key components hypertension and hyperglycemia, increased the risk of RAO onset. Genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus also increased RAO risk in patients with MetS. These findings indicate that MetS may serve as a valuable marker for the secondary prevention of RAO, and stringent management of hyperglycemia and hypertension could contribute to a reduced risk of RAO.