AUTHOR=Peng Rui Ping , Zhu Zi Qian , Shen Hong Yi , Lin Hong Mei , Zhong Lei , Song Si Qi , Liu Tian , Ling Shi Qi TITLE=Retinal Nerve and Vascular Changes in Prediabetes JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine VOLUME=9 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.777646 DOI=10.3389/fmed.2022.777646 ISSN=2296-858X ABSTRACT=Objective

This study aimed to observe vascular and neuroretinal alterations in people with prediabetes [impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)] and normal glucose metabolism.

Methods

A total of 21 patients with prediabetes (42 eyes) and 20 healthy controls (40 eyes) participated in our study. All patients underwent a complete eye examination [including fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT)] and a related general examination (complete biochemical analysis, routine blood tests, and glycosylated hemoglobin).

Results

On FFA, no patients in either group showed any microvascular alterations. The total peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) in the prediabetic group was significantly thinner than that in the healthy control group (p < 0.0001). Only the temporal pRNFL thickness was significantly less in patients with prediabetes compared to the normal people. There was no significant difference in the thickness of retina in the range of 1 mm diameter of macular fovea (p = 0.286), but in the prediabetic group, the macular retinal thickness within the diameter of 6 mm in nasal side (p < 0.0001), superior side (p < 0.0001), temporal side (p = 0.008), and inferior side (p = 0.001) were lower than that in the control group.

Conclusion

In the prediabetic group, there was no microvascular alterations, but the total pRNFL and the temporal pRNFL was significantly thinner, and the macular retinal thickness within the diameter of 6 mm in the nasal, temporal, and inferior side were lower than that in the healthy control group. These data confirm neuroretinal alterations in prediabetes prior to microvascular injury.