Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42878871›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology2026

Retinal layer thickness as a potential marker for future cardiovascular events - a UK Biobank cohort study using optical coherence tomography.

Martin Hänsel, Julian Deseoe, Lisa Herzog, Neda Davoudi, Veronika Kana, Björn Menze, Beate Sick, Susanne Wegener

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Article in Journal of neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Martin Hänsel *Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 26, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
Julian Deseoe *Department of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 26, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
Lisa HerzogDepartment of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 26, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
Neda DavoudiDepartment of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Zurich, Switzerland.
Veronika KanaDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Björn MenzeDepartment of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Beate SickEpidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Susanne WegenerDepartment of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 26, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland. Susanne.wegener@usz.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4369-7023

Funding

Swiss National Science Foundation 310030_200703
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. For CVD prevention, effective screening is needed to identify high-risk individuals. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides a noninvasive, low-cost "quick look" into the brain and has recently shown thinning of certain retinal layers in patients with previous CVD. We explored if OCT-derived retinal layer thicknesses could predict future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: stroke/myocardial infarction/cardiovascular death).

methodsIn this retrospective cohort study, data of 51,293 participants from the UK Biobank were analyzed. We used cause-specific hazard models to evaluate the association of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness with incident MACE, adjusting models for cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) and performed subanalyses for association with incident stroke and myocardial infarction.

resultsMedian follow-up time was 14.7 years. Both RNFL thickness (aHR 0.92, 95% CI 0.89-0.96, p < 0.001) and GCIPL thickness (aHR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92-1.00, p = 0.04) were statistically associated with incident MACE in cause-specific hazard models adjusted for CVRF. Interestingly, RNFL thickness was more strongly associated with incident myocardial infarction (aHR 0.94, 95% CI 0.88-0.99, p = 0.02) while GCIPL was more strongly associated with incident stroke (aHR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83-0.96, p = 0.003).

conclusionRNFL and GCIPL thicknesses are associated with future MACE, even after adjusting for CVRF. OCT-measured retinal layer thickness could contribute to the assessment of cardiovascular risk.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesMyocardial InfarctionRetinaStrokeTomography, Optical CoherenceAgedBiological Specimen BanksCohort StudiesFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetinal Ganglion CellsRetrospective StudiesUK BiobankCerebrovascular diseaseGanglion cell-inner plexiform layerMyocardial infarctionOptical coherence tomographyRetinal nerve fiber layerStroke

Identifiers

PMID42878871

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.