Vitamin D Deficiency and Diabetic Retinopathy Risk; [L'association Entre La Carence En Vitamine D Et Le Risque De Retinopathie Diabetique] Publisher Pubmed



Navaei S¹ ; Nazemi S² ; Emamian MH³ ; Hashemi H⁴ ; Fotouhi A⁵
Source: Journal Francais d'Ophtalmologie Published:2023

Abstract

Purpose: Vitamin D deficiency may play an important role in the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and the likelihood of diabetic retinopathy. Methods: This nested case-control study was conducted on all type II diabetic patients among the participants of the third phase of the Shahroud eye cohort study. Overall, 278 patients aged 50 to 74 years, 101 in the case group (diabetic retinopathy) and 178 in the control group (diabetic without retinopathy), were assessed. Serum levels of vitamin D on admission were measured for all participants by a radio immunoassay (RIA) technique. Results: The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (defined as a vitamin D level of less than or equal to 20 mg/dL) was 30.7%. Comparison of the serum level of vitamin D across the three groups - without retinopathy, with non-proliferative retinopathy, and with proliferative retinopathy - showed a significantly lower level of this marker in the latter group (P = 0.036). Reducing vitamin D to less than or equal to 20 ng/mL increased the odds of proliferative retinopathy by 6.25 times (P value: 0.027). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is a potential risk factor for diabetes-related proliferative retinopathy. © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS