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Retinal degeneration may be associated with metabolic syndrome
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Patients with metabolic syndrome showed signs of retinal neurodegeneration on OCT.
These findings suggest that inherent factors of metabolic syndrome have a neurodegenerative effect that may precede or be independent of the onset of diabetes mellitus.
Metabolic syndrome has a high prevalence – 20% to 25% in the adult population – and is a proven risk factor for cardiovascular disease, according to researchers. In addition, people with metabolic syndrome have a fivefold increased risk of developing diabetes, a known cause of retinopathy.
This study showed that metabolic syndrome may cause retinal degeneration and highlighted the importance of weight control.
The study group included 29 eyes of 29 patients with metabolic syndrome and 36 eyes of 36 healthy controls. The metabolic syndrome group had higher fasting blood glucose, higher triglyceride levels, lower serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and significantly larger waist circumference as compared with controls.
OCT analysis found a significantly thinner ganglion cell layer, thinner inner plexiform layer, thinner preferred retinal locus and thinner retinal pigment epithelium layer in two or more subfields of the 3 mm and 6 mm ETDRS circles, leading to a significant overall thinning of the retina, as compared with controls.
This neurodegeneration may be due to a variety of inherent factors of metabolic syndrome, independent of the hyperglycemic levels associated with diabetes, the researchers said. These include insulin resistance, hypertension and chronic systemic inflammation generated by dysfunctional adipose tissue.
“Therefore, beyond glycemic control measures, weight reduction also may be advised for overweight diabetic and patients with metabolic syndrome with abnormal fat distribution to decrease retinal and possible central nervous system neurodegeneration secondary to adipose tissue–derived inflammation or neuronal insulin resistance,” the authors wrote. – by Michela Cimberle
Disclosure: None of the authors reported a relevant financial disclosure.
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