The effect of acute hyperglycemia on retinal thickness and ocular refraction in healthy subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the retinal thickness and the refractive error of the healthy human eye during hyperglycemia by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Hartmann-Shack aberrometry.


METHODS
Hyperglycemia was induced in five healthy subjects who were given a standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after a subcutaneous injection of somatostatin. Main outcome parameters were the central, pericentral and peripheral thickness of the fovea, measured by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT3). Ocular refractive error was determined with Hartmann-Shack aberrometry. Measurements at baseline and during maximal hyperglycemia were analyzed, and a change was considered clinically significant if the difference between the measurements exceeded the threshold of 50 microm for retinal thickness and 0.2 D for refractive error.


RESULTS
During hyperglycemia (mean blood glucose level at baseline: 4.0 mmol/l; mean maximal blood glucose level: 18.4 mmol/l) no significant changes could be found in the central, pericentral, or peripheral foveal thickness in any of the five subjects. One of the subjects had a hyperopic shift of 0.4 D, but no significant change in refractive error was found in any of the other subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study shows that in healthy subjects induced hyperglycemia does not affect retinal thickness, but it can cause a small hyperopic shift of refraction.
Wiemer
Nanouk G M
NG
Department of Ophthalmology, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ngm.wiemer@vumc.nl
Eekhoff
Elisabeth M W
EM
Simsek
Suat
S
Heine
Robert J
RJ
Ringens
Peter J
PJ
Polak
Bettine C P
BC
Dubbelman
Michiel
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
D001786:Blood Glucose; D013004:Somatostatin