23 May 2025 • A massive study involving over 2.5 million adults aged 50–89 explored the connection between psychiatric disorders and retinal health. While schizophrenia was associated with a lower risk, both bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) showed a strong connection to increased retinal disease and vision impairment.

Key Findings:

- Retinal disease risk rose with age in BD patients —adjusted RR 1.04 (60–69 years), 1.15 (70–79 and 80–89 years)—while MDD showed strong association across all age groups, with aRR ranging from 1.62 (80–89 years) to 1.84 (50–59 years).

• Individuals with schizophrenia (aRR 1.35), BD (RR 1.33), and MDD (RR 1.51) alongside retinal disease had a higher risk of visual impairment compared to those with retinal disease alone.
• Schizophrenia and BD patients had elevated risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (RR 1.94 and 1.56, respectively.)
• MDD patients showed increased risk of diabetic retinopathy (RR 1.55). 

These findings underscore the need for proactive retinal screening in individuals with psychiatric disorders to prevent vision loss.

Source: Science Reports | Read Full Story