The association between aortic stenosis and the risk of consecutive eyelid inflammatory diseases

TL;DR

People with aortic stenosis are more likely to develop eyelid inflammatory diseases like blepharitis and hordeolum.

Contribution

This study reveals a novel link between aortic stenosis and increased risk of eyelid inflammatory diseases.

Findings

AS patients had significantly higher incidence rates of blepharitis and hordeolum compared to non-AS individuals.

Cox regression analysis confirmed a higher risk of developing eyelid inflammatory diseases in the AS group.

Subgroup analyses showed exceptions in certain populations and age groups for the risk of eyelid diseases.

Abstract

Aortic stenosis (AS) is a fatal cardiovascular disease characterized by an inflammatory response. Blepharitis and hordeolum are two eyelid conditions that also involve ocular inflammation. The aim of this study is to assess the association between AS and the subsequent development of eyelid inflammatory diseases. This retrospective cohort study included individuals diagnosed with AS, who were matched to a control group of non-AS individuals from the TriNetX database. A total of 431,027 individuals were assigned to both the AS and non-AS groups. The primary outcomes of this study were the incidence rates of eyelid inflammatory diseases, including blepharitis and hordeolum. Cox proportional hazards regression was used for statistical analysis. After the follow-up period, 4,464 cases of blepharitis were recorded in the AS group, compared to 3,139 in the non-AS group. Additionally, there were 2,184 cases of hordeolum in the AS group, compared to 1,724 in the non-AS group. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that the AS group had a significantly higher risk of developing blepharitis (P < 0.001) and hordeolum (P < 0.001) compared to the non-AS group. The AS group also showed significantly higher cumulative probabilities of both blepharitis and hordeolum than the non-AS group (both P < 0.001). In subgroup analyses, AS patients exhibited a higher risk of developing blepharitis than the non-AS population, except for the Asian population and individuals aged 20-45 years. Similarly, the AS group showed a higher risk of developing hordeolum than the non-AS group, with exceptions in the African and Asian populations and individuals aged 20-45 years. In conclusion, the presence of AS is associated with a higher risk of developing subsequent eyelid inflammatory diseases.

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