Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Arcus senilisis a white or gray opaque ring or arc that develops around the cornea of the eye. The arc or ring with arcus senilis comes from lipids (fats) or cholesterol deposited in the cornea.Arcus senilis can become larger over time and may form a complete ring around the cornea.
Arcus senilis is not dangerous and it doesn’t affect your vision. It usually occurs in people over the age of 50. It is considered a normal part of aging.
This article discusses arcus senilis, its causes, and if it requires treatment.
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Symptoms of Arcus Senilis
If you develop arcus senilis, you may notice a white or gray half-circle on your eye. The arc can appear both in the upper and lower areas of your cornea, which is the normally clear, dome-like structure in the front part of the eye.
The half-circle will have a sharp outer border and a fuzzy inner border. The lines may eventually fill in to form a complete circle around your iris, the colored part of your eye.
With arcus senilis, you most likely won’t develop any other symptoms, and your vision shouldn’t be affected.
What Causes Arcus Senilis?
When arcus senilis develops in early or middle life, it is referred to as arcus juveniles.The condition is concerning when it appears in younger people. Because arcus senilis consists of lipid deposits, if you have arcus senilis and you are younger than 40, it could represent high lipid blood levels, and, therefore, possibly high cholesterol.
The connection between arcus senilis and high cholesterol or atherosclerosis has been very controversial. As far back as 1852, German pathologist Rudolf Virchow discussed an association between corneal arcus and atherosclerosis. However, nearly 40 years later, physician William Osler suggested that arcus was not diagnostic for “fatty degeneration” of the heart.
When healthcare providers perform aneye examination, many factors are taken into consideration before making an assessment. For example, when a healthcare provider sees arcus senilis in a younger person, they will pay particular attention to their findings in the retina.
During the examination, special eye drops will be instilled into the eye to dilate the pupil. When the eye is dilated, the retinal blood vessels are inspected for signs of disease. The blood vessel appearance and thickness can give clues to possible elevated lipid levels and atherosclerosis.
If there appears to be atherosclerosis of the retinal blood vessels, and the patient also happens to have arcus senilis, then it is more likely that they will recommend a visit to your healthcare provider, internist, or cardiologist.
Arcus Senilis vs. CataractsArcus senilis and cataracts are both conditions of the eye that develop with age. However, arcus senilis does not affect how well you can see, while cataracts can grow over time until they eventually cover the lens of your eyes and cause vision loss.
Arcus Senilis vs. Cataracts
Arcus senilis and cataracts are both conditions of the eye that develop with age. However, arcus senilis does not affect how well you can see, while cataracts can grow over time until they eventually cover the lens of your eyes and cause vision loss.
How Arcus Senilis Is Treated
Arcus senilis does not require treatment. However, your healthcare provider might recommend that you have your cholesterol levels checked, especially if you are under the age of 40, as you may be at higher risk for high cholesterol andcoronary artery disease.
High cholesterol can be treated in several ways. Your healthcare provider may recommend lifestyle changes, such as exercising more and eating foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.
As for the visible ring or arc in your eye, there is no way to remove it. Some have advocated eye tattooing to help cover it up. However, for the most part, this is not recommended in the medical community.
Summary
In patients over 40 years of age, arcus senilis is most often a benign finding. In someone younger than 40, it could mean high cholesterol. Although arcus senilis itself does not require treatment, high cholesterol requires management. See your healthcare provider if you have arcus senilis and are under the age of 40.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is arcus senilis.Ng JY, Zarook E, Nicholson L; Oculi-Cordis group; Khanji MY, Chahal CAA.Eyes and the heart: what a clinician should know.Heart. 2023;109(22):1670-1676. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2022-322081Shetty K, Gonsalves S, Gonagi S.Correlation of corneal arcus and serum lipid profile.IP Int J Aesthet Health Rejuvenation. 2019;2(2):23-5.American Heart Association.Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol.Additional ReadingHirshfield, Gary.Is there a treatment for reversal of the cholesterol in my eyes?American Academy of Ophthalmology.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is arcus senilis.Ng JY, Zarook E, Nicholson L; Oculi-Cordis group; Khanji MY, Chahal CAA.Eyes and the heart: what a clinician should know.Heart. 2023;109(22):1670-1676. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2022-322081Shetty K, Gonsalves S, Gonagi S.Correlation of corneal arcus and serum lipid profile.IP Int J Aesthet Health Rejuvenation. 2019;2(2):23-5.American Heart Association.Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol.Additional ReadingHirshfield, Gary.Is there a treatment for reversal of the cholesterol in my eyes?American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is arcus senilis.Ng JY, Zarook E, Nicholson L; Oculi-Cordis group; Khanji MY, Chahal CAA.Eyes and the heart: what a clinician should know.Heart. 2023;109(22):1670-1676. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2022-322081Shetty K, Gonsalves S, Gonagi S.Correlation of corneal arcus and serum lipid profile.IP Int J Aesthet Health Rejuvenation. 2019;2(2):23-5.American Heart Association.Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is arcus senilis.
Ng JY, Zarook E, Nicholson L; Oculi-Cordis group; Khanji MY, Chahal CAA.Eyes and the heart: what a clinician should know.Heart. 2023;109(22):1670-1676. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2022-322081
Shetty K, Gonsalves S, Gonagi S.Correlation of corneal arcus and serum lipid profile.IP Int J Aesthet Health Rejuvenation. 2019;2(2):23-5.
American Heart Association.Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol.
Hirshfield, Gary.Is there a treatment for reversal of the cholesterol in my eyes?American Academy of Ophthalmology.
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