Assessment of Macular Thickness Using OCT in Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy in Relation to HbA1c

Abstract

Background: diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the specific micro vascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and affects 1 of 3 with DM. DR remains a leading cause of vision loss in working adult population. Patients with severe levels of DR are reported to have poor quality of life and reduced physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Objectives: to evaluate the relation of macular thickness to HbA1c in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Patients and Methods: this study included 30 eyes of 16 patients with a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Patients were recruited from Retinal Clinic in Bab El-Shearyah University hospital and asked to participate in this study. This study was designed as an observational, cross-sectional and non-coherent study in the period from 12/2018 to 5/2019. Results: the controlled HbA1c group and uncontrolled HbA1c group were comparable in age, sex, type of diabetes mellitus and best corrected visual acuity, but controlled HbA1c group had shorter duration of diabetes mellitus and lower glycosylated haemoglobin level than uncontrolled HbA1c group. Six (40.0%) patients of controlled HbA1c group were hypertensive patients and 11(73.3%) patients of uncontrolled HbA1c group were hypertensive patients. Conclusion: intensive glycemic control might affect retinal vasculature and decrease ischemia and affect the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy.