Abstract
There is a globally increasing prevalence and incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM). Prolonged hyperglycaemia could lead to both macrovascular damage, such as carotid artery atherosclerosis, and microvascular damage, such as retinal arteriolar narrowing, and might contribute to retinal artery occlusion (RAO). Accordingly, it is important to determine whether DM is a contrubuting factor of RAO. We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included 241,196 DM patients from the Longitudinal Cohort of Diabetes Patients Database who were recruited between 2003 and 2005. An age- and sex-matched non-DM control group included the same number of patients who were selected from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database of 2000. Relevant data of each patient were collected from the index date until December 2013. The incidence and risk of RAO were calculated and compared between the DM and non-DM groups. The hazard ratio for RAO was calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis after adjusting for confounders. The cumulative incidence rate of RAO was calculated by Kaplan–Meier analysis. In total, 317 patients with DM and 144 controls developed RAO during the follow-up period, leading to an incidence rate of RAO in DM patients that was 2.30 times (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.89–2.80) greater than that in controls. After adjustment for potential confounders, patients with DM were 2.11 times (95% CI, 1.71–2.59) more likely to develop RAO in the total study cohort. In conclusion, DM increases the risk of RAO, which is an interdisciplinary emergency. Close collaboration between endocrinologists and ophthalmologists is important in managing RAO following DM.
Highlights
The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), a group of physiological dysfunctions characterized by chronically blood glucose elevation related to insulin resistance and inadequate insulin or glucagon secretion, is an important public health problem worldwide[1,2,3]
The eye is one of the principal organs affected by DM, with ocular complications related to the disease a leading cause of blindness and becoming a general public health issue [7,8,9]
The data for our cohort study were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), which supplies information regarding patient sex, date of birth, admission and discharge dates, and enciphered patient identification numbers
Summary
The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), a group of physiological dysfunctions characterized by chronically blood glucose elevation related to insulin resistance and inadequate insulin or glucagon secretion, is an important public health problem worldwide[1,2,3]. The public health burden of DM is because DM and its accompanying complications due to sustained hyperglycaemia are rapidly increasing, resulting in morbidity and mortality worldwide. These complications are classified as macrovascular complications, including stroke and ischaemic heart disease, and microvascular complications, including retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy [4,5,6]. The eye is one of the principal organs affected by DM, with ocular complications related to the disease a leading cause of blindness and becoming a general public health issue [7,8,9]. Retinal vessel occlusion is another ocular retinal disorder that is seen in patients with DM because of the common pathogenic mechanisms
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
