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Purpose: The present study was done to assess the use of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in detecting earlier stages of diabetic retinopathy and for the early management and effective blood glucose control in preclinical diabetic patients for preventing retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thinning. Methods: A tertiary care center–based prospective observational study was conducted from the year 2021 to 2022 in the Department of Ophthalmology. The study included 50 cases and 50 controls. The parameters analyzed by using OCTA (Topcon 3D OCT-1 Maestro2) were RNFL thickness and peripapillary vessel density. Results: We found that the RNFL thickness in the temporal and superior disc in patients with preclinical diabetic retinopathy was significantly (0.041 and 0.044, respectively) decreased. The duration of diabetes and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were the risk factors for peripapillary vessel density reduction in patients with preclinical diabetic retinopathy (P < 0.001). Conclusion: RNFL thinning is an early sign of retinal neurodegeneration and is associated with peripapillary vessel density reduction. Early management and effective blood glucose control in diabetes patients may be beneficial for preventing RNFL thinning in superior and temporal disc.

Introduction: India has large share of global blindness and visual impairment. Major factor reported is lack of awareness about eye conditions associated with poorer outcomes in terms of seeking medical help, treatment and prevention. Therefore, increase in awareness and knowledge about eye health will result in improved practices towards eye health and decrease in burden of visual impairment. Aim: To assess Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) about eye health and common eye problems in urban Indian population. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional community based online survey was done for six months, from July 2020 till December 2020. A self-designed questionnaire was sent via Google forms to people aged 18 years and above. Knowledge, attitude and practice towards eye health and eye diseases i.e., cataract, glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and dry eye, were assessed with respect to age, gender, education, and spectacle usage. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics to summarise the data and inferential statistics Chi-square test was used to find association by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Results: Of the total 417 participants, 177 (42.4%) were males and 240 (57.6%) females. Mean age was 32.49 years. All the participants were literates, 226 (54.1%) were graduates and 161 (38.6%) were postgraduates. A total of 370 (88.7%) of them believed eye diseases can be prevented by regular check-ups from ophthalmologists but only 15 (16.48%) of the population aged above 40 years underwent glaucoma screening. A total of 10 diabetic patients underwent DR screening. Conclusion: Most participants were aware and had good knowledge about common eye diseases. This does not correlate with their self-care practices. There is a need for robust health education to increase the level of awareness and to understand the importance of routine eye examinations which help in early detection and treatment, thereby reducing visual impairment in the public.