Vitamin D Deficiency Contributes to Diabetic Macular Ischemia: Study
Researchers have found in a recent study published in Scientific Reports that vitamin D deficiency is strongly associated with worsening retinal microvascular health in patients with diabetic maculopathy. The new research explains that low levels of vitamin D are associated with reduced vascular density and increased foveal avascular zones (FAZ), both significant predictors of diabetic macular ischemia. The study was conducted by Ahmed A. and colleagues.
The study was a cross-sectional assessment of 68 adult patients with diabetic macular edema. The patients underwent an extensive ophthalmic examination, including high-technology imaging with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), which measures microvascular changes in the retina. Serum vitamin D levels in each patient were also determined. Those patients with other conditions that might alter vitamin D levels—renal failure, granulomatous diseases, or recent vitamin D therapy—were excluded from participation to preclude confounding factors.
The study population consisted of 54.4% female and 45.6% male participants with an average age of 58 ± 7 years. Researchers targeted vascular density in three retina zones (foveal, parafoveal, and perifoveal) as well as in superficial and deep vascular layers. FAZ, or the region of the retina without blood vessels, was also assessed in both layers.
Key Findings
The findings indicated a consistent and statistically significant correlation between increased vitamin D levels and improved retinal microvascular health:
Superficial Vascular Density:
• Foveal zone: r = 0.711, P < 0.001
• Parafoveal zone: r = 0.852, P < 0.001
• Perifoveal zone: r = 0.832, P < 0.001
Deep Vascular Density:
• Foveal zone: r = 0.868, P < 0.001
• Parafoveal zone: r = 0.790, P < 0.001
• Perifoveal zone: r = 0.645, P < 0.001
Foveal Avascular Zone (FAZ):
• Superficial layer: r = −0.806, P < 0.001
• Deep layer: r = −0.801, P < 0.001
The research showed that vitamin D deficiency was highly linked with microvascular injury in diabetic maculopathy as indicated by decreased vascular density and elevated FAZ. Vitamin D was also a strong predictor of such changes when other factors were controlled. The results validate the role of vitamin D in the preservation of retinal vascular health and indicate its promise as a preventive agent against diabetic macular ischemia.
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