Sex differences in retinal neurovascular changes in type 1 diabetes without retinopathy

To investigate the sex-specific correlation between systemic factors and retinal neurovascular alterations in individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) who do not exhibit signs of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

A cohort participant without DR diagnosed with T1DM, underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluation, optical coherence tomography angiography retinal structural and microvascular density analysis, and systemic parameter assessment. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the impact of systemic parameters on retinal alterations in distinct gender groups.

A total of 182 individuals were included, consisting of 85 males (mean age 23.28±12.75y) and 97 females (mean age 22.98±13.68y). Males exhibited significantly greater thickness in both the internal retinal layer and the entire retina compared to females (P<0.01), whereas females had higher densities of deep retinal vessels and choroidal capillaries (P<0.05). Additionally, glycemic control was found to have a notable influence on retinal thickness in males (P<0.05), while insulin function had a more pronounced impact on retinal structure in females (P<0.01). Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between thyroid function markers and retinal parameters in both male and female (P<0.05).

Sex differences in alterations in retinal structure and microcirculation are observed in individuals with T1DM prior to the development of clinical DR, with a noted association between these changes and systemic parameters.