Carriage of the IL10 -592A-allele yielded an odds ratio of 0.60 (95% CI: 0.41-0.87; p=0.008) for RAO, and remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking status and diabetes mellitus (odds ratio: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.44-0.97; p=0.036). The gene discussed is IL10; the disease is familial hypercholesterolemia.