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Role of Lipids in Retinal Vascular and Macular Disorders

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Abstract

Retinal diseases are significant by increasing problem in every part of the world. While excellent treatment has emerged for various retinal diseases, treatment for early disease is lacking due to an incomplete understanding of all molecular events. With aging, there is a striking accumulation of neutral lipids in Bruch’s membrane. These neutral lipids leads to the creation of a lipid wall at the same locations where drusen and basal linear deposit, pathognomonic lesions of Age-related macular degeneration, subsequently form. High lipid levels are also known to cause endothelial dysfunction, an important factor in the pathogenesis of Diabetic Retinopathy. Various studies suggest that 20 % of Retinal Vascular Occlusion is connected to hyperlipidemia. Biochemical studies have implicated mutation in gene encoding ABCA4, a lipid transporter in pathogenesis of Stargardt disease. This article reviews how systemic and local production of lipids might contribute to the pathogenesis of above retinal disorders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Upgraded Department of Ophthalmology, S.N Medical College, Room No. 186, SBH, Agra, 282002, India

    Gunjan Prakash & Rachit Agrawal

  2. North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute Of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong, India

    Tanie Natung

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  1. Gunjan Prakash
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  2. Rachit Agrawal
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  3. Tanie Natung
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Correspondence to Rachit Agrawal.

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Gunjan Prakash declares that he has no conflict of interest. Rachit Agrawal declares that he has no conflict of interest. Tanie Natung declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Prakash, G., Agrawal, R. & Natung, T. Role of Lipids in Retinal Vascular and Macular Disorders. Ind J Clin Biochem 32, 3–8 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-016-0560-2

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