Key result
Diabetic patients with mild diabetic retinopathy had significantly lower vessel and perfusion densities in the superficial capillary plexus compared to healthy subjects.
Why the study?
Biomarkers like vessel density and perfusion density measured by OCT-A may help detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy and track disease progression.
Are vessel and perfusion densities measured by OCT-A lower in patients with diabetes compared to healthy individuals?
Case-Control (n=212)
No
Are vessel and perfusion densities measured by OCT-A lower in patients with diabetes compared to healthy individuals?
Absolute Event Rate: 16% vs 17.19%
p-value: p=<0.05
Vessel and perfusion densities measured by OCT-A are significantly reduced in patients with mild diabetic retinopathy compared to healthy controls, serving as potential biomarkers.
May support OCT-A metrics as early DR biomarkers; hypothesis-generating, requiring prospective validation before clinical use.
Diabetic alteration of the retinal microenvironment causes damage to the retinal vessels. Biomarkers such as vessel density and perfusion density, measured using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), may help detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and track disease progression. In our study, we categorized 212 individuals into 2 groups: Group I (75 healthy individuals) and Group II (137 people with diabetes). All participants underwent comprehensive eye examinations, including OCT-A with AngioPlex™ system. The measurements taken of the superficial retinal capillary plexus included vessel and perfusion density. Our findings showed that vessel and perfusion densities in the central, inner, and outer ETDRS fields, as well as the full macular area, decreased with age. Notably, vessel and perfusion densities in the inner, outer, and full ETDRS macular areas in diabetic patients with mild DR were significantly lower, compared to those in healthy subjects. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the importance of vessel and perfusion densities as biomarkers for early diabetic retinopathy. However, it is important to note that their reduction does not precede clinical signs of diabetic retinopathy.
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Koseva et al. (2023) conducted a case-control in Diabetic Retinopathy (n=212). Diabetes mellitus with mild diabetic retinopathy vs. Healthy individuals was evaluated on Vessel density in the full ETDRS macular area (mm-1) (p=<0.05). Diabetic patients with mild diabetic retinopathy had significantly lower vessel and perfusion densities in the superficial capillary plexus compared to healthy subjects.
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