Can cholesterol affect the eye sight?

14/03/2016

In the same way that it can cause a heart attack, increased cholesterol in the blood can also cause a retinal infarction, which is a highly vascularised intraocular tissue, essential for our vision.

Obstruction of the central retinal artery is one of the most serious ophthalmic emergencies.

The patient may lose all or part of their vision, which could be irreversible in a matter of hours, due to a massive infarction in the blood supply to the retina.

A low-fat diet, regular physical activity and avoiding excess alcohol and other drugs such as tobacco are fundamental in preventing it.

Dra. María Iglesias Oftalmóloga