| Title: | Association between optical coherence tomography-quantified retinal features and cardiovascular risk in cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome stages 0-3: An analysis of a prospective UK biobank cohort |
| Journal: | PLOS ONE |
| Published: | 26 Jun 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42361046/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0351945 |
| URL: | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0351945&type=printable |
Publication 20522
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. Stages 0-3 represent a key preclinical window for early intervention. Retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables non-invasive evaluation of systemic microcirculation, but its prognostic value for CVD in CKM 0-3 remains undetermined.</p>
METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of 40,516 UK Biobank participants with CKM syndrome stages 0-3 who had retinal OCT. Cox regression, trend tests, and predictive metrics (NRI, IDI, AUC) were used to evaluate associations and incremental prognostic value of retinal structural markers.</p>
RESULTS: Baseline thinner retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular thickness were independently associated with higher risks of incident CVD, coronary heart disease, all-cause mortality, and cardiovascular mortality over a subsequent median 14.6-year follow-up (all P < 0.001). Significant linear dose-response relationships were observed. Adding these markers to traditional risk models improved risk classification and discrimination (all P < 0.001).</p>
CONCLUSION: Thinner RNFL and macular thickness are independent predictors of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in CKM 0-3. Integrating these OCT-derived biomarkers improves risk stratification, supporting a non-invasive approach for early cardiovascular risk assessment in this high-risk population.</p>
16 Keywords
- Aged
- Biological Specimen Banks
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Female
- Humans
- Kidney Diseases
- Male
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Middle Aged
- Prognosis
- Prospective Studies
- Retina
- Risk Factors
- Tomography, Optical Coherence
- UK Biobank
- United Kingdom
5 Authors
- Chenhao Li
- Sixiang Jia
- Yang Yang
- Qingru Zhu
- Shudong Xia
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 456965 | The association between frailty index and cardiovascular disease |
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