Evaluation of retinopathy in individuals with and without prediabetes

Purpose: Prediabetes is an intermediate state of hyperglycemia that does not reach the diagnostic limits of diabetes mellitus (DM). Prediabetes is important in terms of progression to DM, as evidenced by studies. Studies have shown that the rate of progression to DM in a person with prediabetes is up to 70%. It is important to prevent the progression of prediabetes to DM in terms of progression to DM and the development of complications as a result, in terms of preventing complications that may develop in the early period. Retinopathy is one of the chronic microvascular complications of DM and is the most common cause of preventable blindness between the ages of 20-65 years. Early diagnosis of retinopathy is important in terms of both treatment and prevention of progression. Therefore, in our study, it was aimed to investigate the presence of retinopathy by evaluating retinopathy in individuals with and without a diagnosis of prediabetes. Materials and Methods: 56 patients with fasting plasma glucose between 100-125 mg/dl and HbA1c between 5-7-6.4%, who applied to the Family Medicine Polyclinics of Düzce University Medical Faculty Hospital between April 2022 and September 2022, were included in the study. and 47 people who were not diagnosed with any prediabetes or diabetes, regardless of their additional chronic disease, were included. Along with the laboratory measurements of the patients, weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and systolic-diastolic blood pressure were measured and noted. A complete ophthalmologic examination including visual acuity, intraocular pressure measurement, anterior segment and fundus examinations, central foveal thickness (CFT), and mean foveal thickness (MFT) measurements was performed for each patient in the evaluation of retinopathy. CFT and MFT measurements were made with Spectral field optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Conclusion: Included in the study, 47 individuals without prediabetes diagnosis and 56 individuals with prediabetes diagnosis were evaluated in terms of retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy was found in 1 of 56 patients with prediabetes, and hypertensive retinopathy was found in 2 patients. In the non-prediabetes group, diabetic retinopathy was not detected at all, while hypertensive retinopathy was found in 2 of them. There was no significant difference in terms of retinopathy in the group with and without prediabetes (p=0.796). Results: In our study, it was found that diabetic retinopathy, which is a chronic microvascular complication of diabetes, has not yet been seen in the prediabetes stage. There was no significant difference in terms of retinopathy compared to the normal population. Despite this, providing blood pressure regulation, monitoring the lipid panel, and maintaining weight control in patients with prediabetes are important in terms of preventing progression to DM. Even if we cannot diagnose patients with retinopathy, screening individuals diagnosed with prediabetes is important in terms of delaying possible complications. Keywords: Prediabetes, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Retinopathy