Association between Retinal Vein Occlusion and Psoriasis in Korea: A Nationwide Population-based Prospective Cohort Study

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease imparting increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Until now, few studies have reported an increased incidence of ophthalmological retinal vasculopathy in individuals with psoriasis. This study aimed to investigate the association between psoriasis and retinal vein occlusion in the Korean population. Data collected by the National Health Insurance Service between 2009 and 2015 in Korea were analysed. Participants who underwent national health examinations from 2009 to 2012 were enrolled in this study and were divided into either the psoriasis group (n = 3,088) or the control group (n = 465,205). All occurrences of retinal vein occlusion were observed, and the incidence rate of retinal vein occlusion was compared between the psoriasis and control groups. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess the association between psoriasis and newly developed retinal vein occlusion. During a mean 4.37-year follow-up period, 2,034 patients developed retinal vein occlusion. According to multivariable Cox proportional hazard models, individuals with psoriasis had a significantly higher risk of retinal vein occlusion compared with controls (hazard ratio 1.72, 95% confidence interval 1.18–2.51) after adjustments for covariates. This study found that psoriasis was positively associated with retinal vein occlusion.