UK researchers have suggested a possible association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), highlighting their shared risk factors and overlapping pathophysiology.  

In their editorial for Eye, the University of Liverpool’s Dr Amir Askarinejad and Professor Gregory Lip and Birmingham City Hospital’s Dr Peck Lip detailed evidence linking systemic vascular dysfunction to retinal pathology. They noted abnormal markers of angiogenesis (specifically, vascular endothelial growth factor), haemorheological factors, haemostasis and endothelial dysfunction have been reported in AMD with an interaction with the components of Virchow’s triad of thrombogenesis factors. 

Although causality remains unproven, mechanisms implicated in AF, such as chronic inflammation and impaired vascular regulation, may also contribute to AMD progression, said authors. Emerging data from cohort studies also show higher AMD prevalence among individuals with AF, suggesting clinicians should consider integrated cardiovascular and retinal risk assessment in older adults, they said.  

Authors called for further large-scale prospective research to clarify the relationship between AF and AMD and to determine whether AF management strategies might influence AMD outcomes.