title: Increased retinal blood flow velocity in patients with early diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare retinal blood flow velocity in small vessels of patients with early diabetes mellitus (DM), without any morphologic changes related to diabetic retinopathy, with that in a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors used the retinal function imager to measure blood flow velocities, from many small vessels, simultaneously. Twenty-three eyes of 14 patients with early DM and 51 eyes of 31 healthy subjects were enrolled. Differences between the patients and the control group were assessed by mixed linear models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Venous average velocity significantly increased in the DM group (3.8 ± 1.2 vs. 2.9 ± 0.5 mm/second, P < 0.0001) than in the healthy subjects. Arterial velocity of DM patients was also significantly higher (4.7 ± 1.7 vs. 4.1 ± 0.9 mm/second, P = 0.03). There was no statistically significant difference between groups in age, gender, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure. The diastolic blood pressure in the DM patients was lower than that in the healthy group (P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was an increase in arterial and venous retinal blood flow velocities of patients with early DM with no diabetic retinopathy. These findings support the notion that abnormalities in vessel function exist in diabetic eyes before the development of structural changes. This noninvasive approach facilitated the assessment of early hemodynamic abnormalities and may assist in screening and monitoring.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel. zviaeb@gmail.com
authors: Zvia
authors: Z
authors: Burgansky-Eliash
authors: Adiel
authors: A
authors: Barak
authors: Hila
authors: H
authors: Barash
authors: Darin A
authors: DA
authors: Nelson
authors: Orly
authors: O
authors: Pupko
authors: Anat
authors: A
authors: Lowenstein
authors: Amiram
authors: A
authors: Grinvald
authors: Ardon
authors: A
authors: Rubinstein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000503:physiopathology*