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Retinal tissue thickness in type 1 and type 2 diabetes
Sangeetha Srinivasan1, Nicola Pritchard1, Geoff P Sampson1,2
1Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia.
Clinical & Experimental Optometry
|February 16, 2016
Summary
Retinal thickness in type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients is similar after accounting for key health factors. This finding suggests that differences observed initially may be explained by age, sex, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetes duration.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Endocrinology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus, encompassing type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 (T2DM), is a systemic disease affecting various organs, including the eyes.
- Retinal structural integrity, particularly inner retinal thickness, is a potential indicator of diabetic complications.
- Understanding differences in retinal thickness between T1DM and T2DM is crucial for disease management and monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare full retinal thickness and inner retinal thickness (RNFL and GCC) between individuals with T1DM and T2DM.
- To identify potential differences in retinal tissue measurements between the two diabetes types and a control group.
- To explore the influence of confounding factors on the relationship between diabetes type and retinal thickness.
Main Methods:
- Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was used to assess retinal thickness in central, parafoveal, and perifoveal zones.
- Eighty-four T1DM, 67 T2DM, and 42 non-diabetic participants were enrolled.
- Statistical analyses compared retinal measurements and explored relationships, adjusting for age, sex, diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetes duration, and HbA1c levels.
Main Results:
- Individuals with T2DM showed significantly reduced parafoveal and perifoveal full retinal thickness, as well as reduced RNFL and GCC thickness compared to those with T1DM.
- T2DM patients exhibited significantly reduced central and parafoveal retinal thickness compared to the control group.
- After adjusting for confounding variables, no statistically significant difference in retinal tissue thickness was found between T1DM and T2DM.
Conclusions:
- Initial differences in retinal thickness between T1DM and T2DM are not statistically significant when adjusted for key clinical parameters.
- Age, sex, diabetic retinopathy, diabetes duration, and HbA1c levels appear to influence retinal thickness measurements in diabetic patients.
- Further research may elucidate the specific mechanisms underlying retinal changes in different types of diabetes.
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