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Ocular surface abnormalities appear to parallel diabetic peripheral neuropathy
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SEATTLE – A study of 93 patients showed that those patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 had significantly poorer tear film stability, secretion and lipid layer grades than patients without diabetes, according to a presenter here at the American Academy of Optometry annual meeting.
Stuti Misra said at an academy-sponsored press conference that she and her colleagues sought to evaluate tear film metrics in patients with type 1 diabetes and the presence of peripheral neuropathy.
The researchers evaluated 53 patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 40 without using the McMonnies Dry Eye Questionnaire, assessment of the tear film lipid layer thickness, noninvasive measurement of tear film stability, phenol red thread test, laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy and retinal photography, according to the study abstract. Those with diabetes also were assessed for neuropathy with a questionnaire, clinical evaluation, biothesiometry and nerve conduction testing.
Patients had undergone no ocular surgery and had no other ocular disease, Misra said.
The groups showed no significant difference in dry eye symptom scores, according to the abstract.
“However, tear lipid thickness, tear film stability and tear production were significantly lower in the diabetes group compared to healthy controls,” the abstract said. “Tear film stability correlated positively with corneal sub-basal nerve density and inversely to total neuropathy score. Decreased tear film stability was associated with increasing age and duration of diabetes in the group with diabetes.”
Disclosure: The researchers received funding support from Save Sight Society NZ Inc. and the New Zealand Optometric Vision Research Foundation.