Study Identifies Risks Associated with Diabetic Eye Disease Onset

Early intervention is effective at reducing retinal thickening and improving visual outcomes in diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, underlining the importance of prompt detection of disease and structural damage. Photo: Lee Vien, OD, and David Yang, OD. Click image to enlarge. Preventive measures and prompt intervention are essential for combating the potentially vision-threatening complications of diabetic retinopathy. In the early stages of this disease, retinal damage manifests without obvious symptoms, becoming apparent later as vision starts to deteriorate. Fortunately, advances in imaging technologies like OCT and OCT-A enable clinicians to detect and monitor subtle early changes, such as those in central macular thickness (CMT) and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area. In a recent Clinical Ophthalmology paper, Chinese researchers identified and linked potential systemic risk factors to early structural changes for improved intervention.In the cross-sectional study, 60 healthy controls, 60 patients with no DR and 60 patients with mild NPDR underwent comprehensive eye exams with OCT and OCT-A imaging. The researchers observed significant differences in CMT and FAZ area in the eyes of diabetic patients compared to those of the healthy control group; and between NPDR eyes and eyes without diabetic retinopathy.The analysis revealed that central macular thickness had a positive correlation with a number of systemic metabolic markers, including duration of diabetes, BMI, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. FAZ area was positively correlated with duration of diabetes and BMI.In their paper, researchers recommended that in clinical practice, diabetic patients—particularly those with longer disease duration, abnormal lipid levels, high blood pressure and obesity—“should undergo enhanced macular examination and monitoring to detect signs of retinal lesions early and promptly implement comprehensive treatment measures, including blood glucose, lipid and blood pressure control, and weight reduction, to slow disease progression.”Click here for the journal source. Wei W, Wang W, Qiu Q. Central macular thickness and foveal avascular zone are indicators of early diabetic retinopathy. Clin Ophthalmology 2025;19:3505-3514. This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.