Risk factors in patients with macular telangiectasia 2A in an Asian population: A case-control study

The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors in patients with macular telangiectasia (MacTel) 2A in an Asian population. This was a hospital-based case-control study.

We reviewed the case records of patients in our hospital, diagnosed as MacTel 2A over a 3-year period from April 2011 to March 2014. Controls were selected from patients seen in the hospital at the same time for visual defects after matching for age and sex. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed using the variables that showed a statistically significant association (P < 0.05) with MacTel 2A in the univariate analysis.

The mean age of the patients with MacTel 2A was 58.63 years. A majority (76; 73.8%) of the patients were female. Of the patients with MacTel 2A, 61 (59.2%) patients had diabetes mellitus, and 50 (48.5%) revealed hypertension. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed the presence of diabetes mellitus to be the risk factor with the highest odds ratio (OR) of 5.7 followed by hypertension with an OR of 2.6. Binary logistic regression showed hypermetropia to have a greater risk factor compared to emmetropia, OR 2.64.

Our case-control study revealed that MacTel 2A is significantly associated with systemic diseases. Diabetes mellitus was found to have the strongest association with MacTel 2A, showing a high OR of 5.7. Systemic hypertension followed by an OR of 2.6. Compared to emmetropia, hypermetropia was significantly associated with MacTel 2A. There could be a genetic link between the two. Determining risk factors draws us close to the goal of identifying the etiopathogenesis of MacTel 2A.