In a study published in Science Daily, high cholesterol levels were seen to be more than twice as common among patients with retinal vein occlusion and those with high cholesterol levels had an approximately 2.5-fold higher risk of retinal vein occlusion. Dr Jeff Foster H3Health and Doctor Luke Pratsides from the online health clinic Numan who also works for the NHS in east London spoke exclusively with Express.co.uk to discuss the condition, signs you may be at risk and the at-home test to check.
When asked what exactly retinal artery occlusion from high cholesterol is, Dr Pratsides said: “Retinal artery occlusions are sudden blockages in a retinal artery that lead to visual loss.
“They are caused by an embolus, a piece of cholesterol or fibrin that has travelled through the bloodstream from another part of the body and become lodged in the retinal artery, blocking blood flow through the artery and starving the retina of oxygen and nutrients, leading to visual loss.
“As the retinal arteries are some of the smallest in the body it takes only a small embolus, usually arising from a fragment of fatty plaque build-up in larger arteries, to cause a catastrophic blockage.
“Other causes of retinal artery occlusion include inflammation of the artery or spasming of the artery.”
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Early symptoms of retinal artery occlusions include:
- A bluish-coloured ring forming around the outside of the cornea (known as arcus senillis), which represents deposits of cholesterol
- Xanthelasma, small yellow-like elevations of the skin above the eyes or near the nose that may also signal high cholesterol levels
- A Hollenhorst plaque, a build-up of cholesterol that has broken off a clot from another artery, such as the carotid artery.
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For the best way to help lower your cholesterol levels, Dr Pratsides recommended: “The best way to reduce your levels of cholesterol is to limit foods high in saturated fats like dairy or other animal fats, particularly processed meats.
“You should avoid smoking and excessive alcohol intake beyond 14 units per week.
“Exercise regularly for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity, five times a week.
“Moderate-intensity exercise is where you can feel your heart beating fast but can still have a conversation – like a brisk walk.
“Alternatively, you can do two hours of high-intensity exercise, split across the week in 30 – 60-minute sessions, where your heart is beating fast and you are very out of breath, so cannot have a conversation like running, intense cycling or rowing.
“Beyond age 40 you should get your cholesterol checked and monitored if levels are found to be high.
“If you have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease you should consider getting your cholesterol checked earlier in life in your 20s or 30s.”