title: Ocular arterial flow hemodynamics in patients with diabetes mellitus.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate ocular blood flow hemodynamics in patients with diabetes mellitus. We used color Doppler sonography, in 22 normal subjects and 52 patients with (n = 25) or without (n = 27) diabetic retinopathy, to determine blood flow velocities and the resistive index of the central retinal artery. The resistive index of the central retinal artery in patients with diabetic retinopathy (0.85 +/- 0.09) was significantly greater (P < 0.01) than that in normal subjects (0.72 +/- 0.08) and in patients without diabetic retinopathy (0.81 +/- 0.09). The resistive index of the central retinal artery in the patients without diabetic retinopathy was also significantly greater than that of normal subjects (P < 0.01). The resistive index of ocular arterial flow was increased in the patients with diabetes mellitus and further increased in the presence of retinopathy. Increased resistance in the peripheral ocular vascular bed contributes to diabetic retinopathy, and this change is present before the appearance of overt diabetic retinopathy.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Numata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiba
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sekihara
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color