Studies demonstrate localized neuro-retinal dysfunction in patients with diabetes and no visible diabetic retinopathy (DR). Poor glycemic control is a strong risk factor for DR. We hypothesized that poor glycemic control predicts increased areas of localized neuro-retinal dysfunction in patients with diabetes.
Forty-eight adolescents with diabetes and 45 controls were tested using the standard (103 hexagons) multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). Negative binomial regression analysis was conducted with number of abnormal hexagons (delayed responses) as the dependent variable and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), disease duration, age and sex as covariates.
Results indicate that a one-unit increase in HbA1c predicts an 80% (p = 0.002) increase in the number of abnormal hexagons when controlling for age. Increased areas of neuro-retinal dysfunction are predicted by worsening glycemic control in patients with no visible DR. Standard mfERG may be useful in monitoring patients with diabetes and identifying those who may be at risk of developing DR.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/18808 |
| Date | 15 February 2010 |
| Creators | Lakhani, Ekta |
| Contributors | Westall, Carol |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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