Review finds macular thickness in DME improved during COVID pandemic
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CHICAGO — Patients with diabetic macular edema experienced improved macular thickness during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.
In a poster presentation, Bryce Johnson, BS, said management of risk factors is crucial to preserving vision in DME.
“This can be accomplished with a healthy lifestyle of regular exercise and proper nutrition,” he said. “The COVID-19 pandemic had a widespread impact on many lifestyle factors, potentially affecting the progression of DME.”
Johnson and colleagues conducted a retrospective chart review to assess the impact of the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic on DME via changes in macular thickness. The study included 570 eyes of adults with diabetic retinopathy of any severity with DME in at least one eye who completed three separate visits between January 2019 and July 2021.
Overall, there was a universal decrease in macular thickness across all time periods of the study. Stratifying patients based on BMI, HbA1c or adherence to ophthalmology appointments did not affect these results.
Johnson said there were several possible explanations for the results, including potential delays in retinal changes, which would need to be followed to confirm. It is also possible that lifestyle changes had a positive impact on DME.
“While many lifestyle changes occurred with the pandemic, the overall net positive changes outweighed the negative changes,” he said. “The widespread implementation of telehealth likely played a role in our findings, filling in the gaps where in-person appointments were not possible.”
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Johnson B, et al. Impact of COVID-19-related lifestyle changes on diabetic macular edema. Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting; Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2022; Chicago.
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