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Updated: Apr 8, 2026
Retinal Vascular Reactivity as Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published on: March 26, 2020
Comparison of Neoatherosclerosis and Neovascularization Between Patients With and Without Diabetes: An Optical
Lei Gao1, Seung-Jung Park2, Yangsoo Jang3
1Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Objectives:
This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of neoatherosclerosis (NA) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation using optical coherence tomography.
Background:
NA is an important substrate for stent failure. In vivo NA characteristics in DM patients have not been investigated.
Methods:
A total of 397 patients with 452 DES who underwent follow-up optical coherence tomography examination after DES implantation were enrolled. Characteristics of NA were compared between DM and non-DM patients. Neovascularization was defined as signal-poor holes or tubular structures with a diameter of 50 to 300 μm.
Results:
A total of 123 DES with NA lesions in 115 patients were identified. The incidence of NA was similar between DM and non-DM patients (29.6% vs. 28.6%; p = 0.825). Compared with the non-DM group, neovascularization was more frequently observed in the DM group (55.1% vs. 32.4%; p = 0.012). The multivariate logistic model demonstrated that DM (odds ratio: 3.00; 95% confidence interval: 1.31 to 6.81; p = 0.009) and follow-up duration (odds ratio: 1.03; 95% confidence interval: 1.02 to 1.05; p < 0.001) were the independent predictors for neovascularization in NA lesions. DM patients with glycated hemoglobin ≥7.0% had a higher prevalence of thin-cap fibroatheroma compared with those with glycated hemoglobin <7.0% (40.0% vs. 8.3%; p = 0.01).
Conclusions:
The incidence of NA was similar between patients with and without DM. Neovascularization in NA lesions was more frequent in those with DM. Poorly controlled DM patients had a higher incidence of thin-cap fibroatheroma, compared with those with well-controlled DM.
