Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,948 studies31 sourcesUpdated 40 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis

Long-term outcomes of antithrombotic treatment for retinal vein occlusion

  • Davide Sacchet1,2
  • Corrado Lodigiani1
  • Clara Sacco1
  • Stefano Barco3
  • Simon Wolf3
  • Sandrine Zweifel4
  • Marco Paolo Donadini5
  • Luca Librè1
  • Lorenza Bertù6
  • Walter Ageno7
7 affiliations
  1. 1Thrombosis and Hemorrhagic Diseases Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
  2. 2Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
  3. 3Department of Angiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  4. 4Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  5. 5Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
  6. 6Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
  7. 7Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Read full textDOICite

Abstract

Background: Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a leading cause of visual impairment. Several cardiovascular and thrombotic predisposing factors have been linked to RVO. Antithrombotic agents are commonly prescribed, but their effectiveness for visual recovery and long-term outcomes remains uncertain.

Objectives: To study the course of long-term clinical outcomes in RVO patients.

Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective, observational study of patients with an index RVO at 3 academic hospitals, we estimated the risk of recurrent RVO, cardiovascular events, venous thromboembolic events, bleeding complications, and death, reported as incidence rates per 100 person-years, and compared these rates between patients treated with antithrombotic drugs and those untreated.

Results: Between 2004 and 2023, 198 patients were enrolled (median age, 65 years; IQR, 54-75; 105 females, 53.0%) and followed for a median of 2.6 years (IQR, 0.9-4.5); of these, 39.4% received antiplatelet therapy, 16.6% received anticoagulant therapy, and 44.0% received no antithrombotic treatment. The median duration of anticoagulant therapy was 46 days (IQR, 30-158), while that of antiplatelet therapy was 296 days (IQR, 124-947). The incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for cardiovascular events and mortality were higher in the untreated group (IRR, 6.04; 95% CI, 1.17-38.9 for cardiovascular events; IRR, 3.89; 95% CI, 1.29-12.3 for mortality) than in patients receiving antithrombotic treatment. For RVO recurrence and hemorrhagic complications, we found no differences between treated and untreated patients (IRR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.18-3.97 for recurrent RVO; IRR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.4-2.76 for bleeding complications).

Conclusion: In this real-world cohort study of RVO, our data suggest that patients with RVO should undergo careful cardiovascular risk assessment. Antithrombotic therapy should not be used routinely after RVO, only when indicated by established cardiovascular prevention principles or specific clinical circumstances. Notably, rates of recurrent RVO and bleeding complications were similar between treated and untreated patients.

Related

  1. Effect of Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Injections on the Vitreomacular Interface in Treatment-Naïve Eyes With Central Retinal Vein Occlusion
    Rachel D’Cunha, Angela Hemesath, Yuxi Zheng +6
    Journal of Vitreoretinal DiseasesPeer-reviewedLicence not statedFull text1 citedGeneral medicinePMC
  2. Baseline Optical Coherence Tomography Features and Visual Outcomes After Anti-vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy for Retinal Vein Occlusion-Associated Macular Edema: A Prospective Observational Study
    Garima Mandloi, Ekta Thakur, Anshul Tiwari +2
    CureusPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMCPMC
  3. Predictive value of baseline hematological and platelet indices for visual and anatomical outcomes in retinal vein occlusion: a retrospective analysis.
    Funda Yüksekyayla, Ali Şimşek, Ali Hakim Reyhan +3
    International journal of retina and vitreousPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textMedical imaging & radiologyEurope PMCPMCDOAJ
  4. Left atrial appendage occlusion versus antithrombotic therapy in nonvalvular AF with ASCVD and prior embolism
    Chenlin Lu, Si Sun, Hao Liu +7
    iSciencePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textCardiovascular medicineCell PressCrossrefPMC
  5. Joint association and interaction of lipoprotein(a) and hyperuricemia with long-term outcomes in chronic total occlusion
    Jian Zhang, BingBing Zhang, Jun Xie
    Frontiers in EndocrinologyPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Endocrinology & metabolismCrossref

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{sacchet2026longterm,
  title = {{Long-term outcomes of antithrombotic treatment for retinal vein occlusion}},
  author = {Davide Sacchet and Corrado Lodigiani and Clara Sacco and Stefano Barco and Simon Wolf and Sandrine Zweifel and Marco Paolo Donadini and Luca Librè and Lorenza Bertù and Walter Ageno},
  journal = {Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1016/j.rpth.2026.106976},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpth.2026.106976},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Long-term outcomes of antithrombotic treatment for retinal vein occlusion
AU  - Davide Sacchet
AU  - Corrado Lodigiani
AU  - Clara Sacco
AU  - Stefano Barco
AU  - Simon Wolf
AU  - Sandrine Zweifel
AU  - Marco Paolo Donadini
AU  - Luca Librè
AU  - Lorenza Bertù
AU  - Walter Ageno
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/23
JO  - Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis
DO  - 10.1016/j.rpth.2026.106976
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpth.2026.106976
AB  - Background: Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a leading cause of visual impairment. Several cardiovascular and thrombotic predisposing factors have been linked to RVO. Antithrombotic agents are commonly prescribed, but their effectiveness for visual recovery and long-term outcomes remains uncertain.  Objectives: To study the course of long-term clinical outcomes in RVO patients.  Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective, observational study of patients with an index RVO at 3 academic hospitals, we estimated the risk of recurrent RVO, cardiovascular events, venous thromboembolic events, bleeding complications, and death, reported as incidence rates per 100 person-years, and compared these rates between patients treated with antithrombotic drugs and those untreated.  Results: Between 2004 and 2023, 198 patients were enrolled (median age, 65 years; IQR, 54-75; 105 females, 53.0%) and followed for a median of 2.6 years (IQR, 0.9-4.5); of these, 39.4% received antiplatelet therapy, 16.6% received anticoagulant therapy, and 44.0% received no antithrombotic treatment. The median duration of anticoagulant therapy was 46 days (IQR, 30-158), while that of antiplatelet therapy was 296 days (IQR, 124-947). The incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for cardiovascular events and mortality were higher in the untreated group (IRR, 6.04; 95% CI, 1.17-38.9 for cardiovascular events; IRR, 3.89; 95% CI, 1.29-12.3 for mortality) than in patients receiving antithrombotic treatment. For RVO recurrence and hemorrhagic complications, we found no differences between treated and untreated patients (IRR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.18-3.97 for recurrent RVO; IRR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.4-2.76 for bleeding complications).  Conclusion: In this real-world cohort study of RVO, our data suggest that patients with RVO should undergo careful cardiovascular risk assessment. Antithrombotic therapy should not be used routinely after RVO, only when indicated by established cardiovascular prevention principles or specific clinical circumstances. Notably, rates of recurrent RVO and bleeding complications were similar between treated and untreated patients.
SN  - 2475-0379
ER  -