A groundbreaking $3.3 million study at the University of Houston College of Optometry will delve into the impact of prediabetes and diabetes on eye health, aiming to identify individuals at risk for vision problems and potential vision loss. Led by Associate Professor Wendy Harrison, the study is funded by the National Eye Institute.
Diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss among individuals with type 2 diabetes, results from damage to the retina’s blood vessels. This condition can develop silently, underscoring the need for improved predictive measures.
“Identifying which patients are most susceptible to diabetic retinopathy could significantly advance both diagnosis and management of diabetes, a condition that has reached epidemic proportions,” stated Harrison. “Early and location-specific diagnosis could help delay the onset of diabetic retinopathy and preserve vision in the long term.”
Diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss among working-age Americans. Furthermore, approximately 44% of U.S. adults are affected by prediabetes, a condition often undiagnosed until it impacts the eyes. Prediabetes is characterized by impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and elevated hemoglobin A1c levels, yet its effects on eye health remain poorly understood.
“There is a critical need to bridge the gap in our understanding of how prediabetes influences eye health,” Harrison noted. “Currently, there are no specific treatments targeting eye conditions in prediabetes or early type 2 diabetes beyond managing blood glucose levels. It is crucial to identify which glucose processing abnormalities are most strongly associated with eye disease.”
This innovative study will be the first to examine both the anterior and posterior segments of the eye in relation to various types of glucose dysregulation. The research team, which includes experts from optometry and health performance, will investigate whether factors such as fat distribution, physical activity, and oral glucose tolerance can predict ocular health.
The central hypothesis of the research is that alterations in local retinal oxygenation due to changes in glucose tolerance may influence the relationship between retinal vessel changes and retinal function in specific areas.
The study will follow participants for one and two years, comparing their ocular and metabolic health over time. “We anticipate that variations in glucose tolerance and associated phenotypes will impact ocular test results, particularly in individuals with prediabetes,” Harrison concluded.
The study’s findings could offer valuable insights into the prevention and management of vision loss in patients with prediabetes and diabetes.
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