The Relationship between Cardiovascular Autonomic Dysfunction and Ocular Abnormality in Chinese T2DM

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Diabetology
• Neurology

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with autonomic nerve dysfunction.
• Diabetic oculopathy, including lens and vitreous abnormalities, is a significant complication.
• Early detection of ocular complications in T2DM is crucial for preventing vision loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between autonomic nerve dysfunction, assessed by cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy risk score (CAN-RS), and ocular abnormalities in Chinese patients with T2DM.
• To evaluate the utility of CAN-RS as a screening tool for diabetic oculopathy.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 335 T2DM patients.
• Ocular parameters (visual acuity, lens, vitreous, fundus) were assessed using professional ophthalmic instruments.
• Electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) of hands and feet was measured using SUDOSCAN to calculate CAN-RS.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate CAN-RS accuracy.

Main Results:

• Abnormalities were observed in the lens (7.8%), vitreous (5.1%), and fundus (9.9%).
• CAN-RS was positively associated with lens (OR=1.055, P<0.001) and vitreous (OR=1.044, P<0.01) abnormalities.
• ROC analysis indicated good performance for CAN-RS in detecting lens (AUC=0.713) and vitreous (AUC=0.725) abnormalities.

Conclusions:

• CAN-RS, calculated via SUDOSCAN, may serve as a valuable index for screening lens and vitreous abnormalities in T2DM patients.
• The findings suggest a potential role for CAN-RS in the early detection of diabetic oculopathy.
• Further research is warranted to validate these findings in larger, diverse populations.