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Does Retinal Neurodegeneration Seen in Diabetic Patients Begin in the Insulin Resistance Stage?

Authors :
Sedat Arıkan
İsmail Erşan
Mustafa Eroğlu
Mehmet Yılmaz
Hasan Ali Tufan
Baran Gencer
Selçuk Kara
Mehmet Aşık
Source :
Türk Oftalmoloji Dergisi, Vol 46, Iss 6, Pp 264-269 (2016)
Publication Year :
2016
Publisher :
Galenos Yayinevi, 2016.

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate whether retinal neurodegeneration and impairment in contrast sensitivity (CS), which have been demonstrated to begin in diabetic patients before the presence of signs of diabetic retinal vasculopathy, also occur in the stage of insulin resistance. Materials and Methods: The average, minimum and sectoral (inferior, superior, inferonasal, superonasal, inferotemporal and superotemporal) thicknesses of ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) measured using optical coherence tomography were compared between an insulin-resistant group and control group in order to evaluate the presence of retinal neurodegeneration. The CS of the two groups was also compared according to the logarithmic values measured at spatial frequencies of 1.5, 3, 6, 12 and 18 cycles per degree in photopic light using functional acuity contrast test (FACT). Results: Twenty-five eyes of 25 patients with insulin resistance (insulin resistant group) and 25 eyes of 25 healthy subjects (control group) were included in this study. There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in any of the spatial frequencies in the FACT. The mean average GCIPL thickness and mean GCIPL thickness in the inferotemporal sector were significantly less in the insulin-resistant group when compared with the control group (mean average GCIPL thicknesses in the insulin-resistant and control groups were 83.6±4.7 µm and 86.7±3.7 µm respectively, p=0.01; mean inferotemporal GCIPL thicknesses in the insulin-resistant and control groups were 83±6.0 µm and 86.7±4.6 µm respectively, p=0.02). Conclusion: Although it may not lead to functional impairment in vision such as CS loss, the retinal neurodegeneration seen in diabetic patients may also occur in the insulin resistance stage.

Details

Language :
English, Turkish
ISSN :
13000659 and 21472661
Volume :
46
Issue :
6
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Türk Oftalmoloji Dergisi
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.2a5182a53c87451bbe54f5601a9febc3
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.4274/tjo.68888