Blood Glucose Levels Tied To Cystoid Macular Edema Risk, Thickening Of Central Macula In Patients With Diabetes After Cataract Surgery, Study Finds

Healio (5/19, Cooper) reports a study found that “blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes are strongly correlated with the risk for cystoid macular edema and thickening of the central macula after cataract surgery.” Researchers observed that in a “standard” treatment group of patients with HbA1c above 7% receiving only oral hypoglycemic drugs, central macular thickness “significantly thickened at 3 months and 6 months after surgery vs. the day before surgery.” Meanwhile, in the “intensive” treatment group with HbA1c at 7% or below that received both insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs, the “thickening was ‘mildly higher’ after surgery but was not significant through 6 months.” Researchers also “found that HbA1c predicted CMT thickening and CME in a receiver operating curve analysis.” They said, “The results suggest that HbA1c has a predictive validity for CMT thickening and CME in patients after surgery.” The study was published in Clinical Ophthalmology.