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Lack of correlation between short-term dynamics of diabetic retinopathy lesions and the arterial blood pressure

  • Medical Ophthalmology
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Abstract

Introduction

Diabetic retinopathy is characterized by morphological lesions in the ocular fundus related to impairment of the retinal blood flow. The morphological lesions display a dynamic pattern of new formation and resorption of lesions, with a turn-over within days to weeks that may reflect basic pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the disease. However, a possible relationship between short-term fluctuations in diabetic retinopathy and risk factors for the long-term prognosis of diabetic retinopathy, such as the arterial blood pressure, has not been investigated.

Methods

Five patients with moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy were examined by fundus photography and measurement of the blood pressure at 1- to 2-week intervals for up to 1 year. The numbers of microaneurysms/haemorrhages and hard exudates in the macular area were counted, and changes in these counts were related to changes in the arterial blood pressure.

Results

The five patients discontinued the study after 1–12 months, which resulted in between 5 and 39 examinations per patient, and amounted to a total of 101 examinations. There was a significant covariation between microaneurysms/haemorrhages and hard exudates, whereas there was no significant covariation between the number of either type of lesion and the blood pressure.

Conclusions

The cause of dynamic changes in diabetic retinopathy lesions occurring over days to weeks may involve other factors than changes in the arterial blood pressure.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the VELUX Foundation. The skilful assistance of nurse photographer Helle Hedegaard is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Århus University Hospital, DK-8000, Århus C, Denmark

    Toke Bek

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  1. Toke Bek
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Correspondence to Toke Bek.

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The author has full control of all primary data, and agrees that Graefe's Archives for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology can review the data if requested.

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Bek, T. Lack of correlation between short-term dynamics of diabetic retinopathy lesions and the arterial blood pressure. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 249, 267–271 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-010-1525-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-010-1525-4

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