Comprehensive retinal vascular measurements: time in range is associated with peripheral retinal venular calibers in type 2 diabetes in China

Aim

Retinal vascular parameters are biomarkers of diabetic microangiopathy. We aimed to investigate the relationship between time in range (TIR) assessed by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and retinal vascular parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes in China.

Methods

The TIR assessed by CGM and retinal photographs were obtained at the same time from adults with type 2 diabetes who were recruited. Retinal vascular parameters were extracted from retinal photographs by a validated fully automated computer program, and TIR was defined as between 3.9–7.8 mmol/L over a 24-h period. The association between TIR and caliber of retinal vessels distributed in different zones were analyzed using multivariable linear regression analyses.

Results

For retinal vascular parameters measurements, the peripheral arteriovenous and middle venular calibers widen with decreasing TIR quartiles (P < 0.05). Lower TIR was associated with wider peripheral venule after adjusting for potential confounders. Even after further correction for GV, there was still a significant correlation between TIR and peripheral vascular calibers (CV: β = − 0.015 [− 0.027, − 0.003], P = 0.013; MAGE: β = − 0.013 [− 0.025, − 0.001], P = 0.038) and SD: β = − 0.013 [− 0.026, − 0.001], P = 0.004). Similar findings were not found for the middle and central venular calibers or arterial calibers located in different zones.

Conclusions

The TIR was associated with adverse changes to peripheral retinal venules but not central and middle vessels in patients with type 2 diabetes, suggesting that peripheral retinal vascular calibers may be affected by glycemic fluctuations earlier.