Clinical Ophthalmology (Jun 2021)
Management of Patients with Newly Diagnosed Diabetic Mellitus: Ophthalmologic Outcomes in Intensive versus Conventional Glycemic Control
Abstract
Pun Yuet Lam,1 Shing Chuen Chow,1 Wai Ching Lam,1,2 Loraine Lok Wan Chow,1,2 Nicholas Siu Kay Fung1,2 1The Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; 2Queen Mary Hospital & Grantham Hospital, Hong KongCorrespondence: Nicholas Siu Kay Fung Room 301, Level 3 Block B, Cyberport 4 100 Cyberport Road, Hong KongTel + 852 3962 1405Email [email protected] and Objective: Diabetic retinopathy, a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus, is one of the most important causes of visual loss in developed countries. Our objective is to evaluate the efficacy of intensive versus conventional glycemic control of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in terms of ophthalmologic outcome, pathogenesis of the early worsening of diabetic retinopathy, risk factors for early worsening and diabetic retinopathy progression.Methods: A literature search on publications concerning glycaemic control in diabetic retinopathy and management of newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus by intensive versus conventional glycaemic control.Results: A total of 22 articles were reviewed after curation by the authors for relevance. Nineteen articles are randomized control trial, 2 articles are observational studies and 1 is clinical trial. Fifteen articles investigated the glycaemic control in T1DM-related diabetic retinopathy and 8 on T2DM-related diabetic retinopathy. The level of glycemia (in terms of HbA1c level) is significantly related to the diabetic retinopathy progression in both T1DM and T2DM. Intensive glycemic control was found to reduce the development of severe diabetic retinopathy, including severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, neovascularization, clinically significant macular edema and loss of vision. Early worsening of diabetic retinopathy commonly occurs during the first year of intensive treatment, especially those initially present with proliferative or severe non-proliferative retinopathy. However, most patients with early worsening can recover and their long-term ophthalmologic outcomes are better when compared to conventional glycemic control.Conclusion: The current guideline on HbA1c level is considered sufficient for the minimization of diabetic retinopathy progression. More frequent monitoring for early worsening should be recommended for newly diagnosed diabetes cases already presenting with retinopathy.Keywords: diabetic retinopathy, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, intense glycemic control, conventional glycemic control
