Metabolic Status Modulates Choroidal Thickness – A Possible
                    Early Indicator for Diabetic Eye Complications?

Svenja Meyhöfer; Britta Wilms; Rodrigo Chamorro; Armin Knaak; Eleni Pappa; Agnetha S. Schulz; Anna-Josephin Pagels; Maria Schröder; Neele Kaluzny; Hans-Jürgen Grein; Sebastian M. Meyhöfer

doi:10.1055/a-1831-0265

Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes, Table of Contents

Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2022; 130(12): 789-792
DOI: 10.1055/a-1831-0265

Article

Metabolic Status Modulates Choroidal Thickness – A Possible Early Indicator for Diabetic Eye Complications?

Authors

Svenja Meyhöfer

¹Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

²German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany

³Department of Internal Medicine 1, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
Britta Wilms

¹Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

²German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany
Rodrigo Chamorro

¹Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

⁴Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
Armin Knaak

¹Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
Eleni Pappa

¹Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

²German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany

³Department of Internal Medicine 1, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
Agnetha S. Schulz

¹Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

²German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany

³Department of Internal Medicine 1, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
Anna-Josephin Pagels

⁵Section of medical optics, Technische Hochschule Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
Maria Schröder

⁵Section of medical optics, Technische Hochschule Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
Neele Kaluzny

⁵Section of medical optics, Technische Hochschule Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
Hans-Jürgen Grein

⁵Section of medical optics, Technische Hochschule Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
Sebastian M. Meyhöfer

¹Institute for Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

²German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany

Abstract

Objective To investigate the impact of metabolic status on choroidal thickness (ChT) in healthy subjects, patients with obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Design and Methods Fasting blood glucose, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and ChT measured by optical coherence tomography were assessed in healthy normal-weight (n=17), obese participants (n=20), and obese participants with T2D (n=16).

Results ChT increased in obese participants and obese participants with T2D as compared to healthy normal-weight participants (P<0.0001). A negative correlation was observed between IGF1 and ChT (r=−0.268, P=0.050) for all cohorts. Furthermore, body mass index (BMI; R²=0.209; P=0.002; beta=0.388) and model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; R²=0.074; P=0.015; beta=0.305) were independent variables of ChT, explaining 20.9 and 7.4% of its variance (both p<0.016), whereas age, sex, and IGF-1 were not significant confounders of ChT (p>0.975).

Conclusion ChT is associated with metabolic characteristics, i. e., BMI and HOMA-IR. Due to the key role of choroidal function in retinal physiology, future studies are needed to evaluate whether metabolic traits, ChT, and potential metabolic eye complications are mechanistically linked.

Full Text

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