Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Cases and Controls
| Variables | Cases N = 37 | Controls N = 21 | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age ± SD (y) | 57.45 ± 8.08 | 57.50 ± 7.60 | 0.982 |
| Men, N (%) | 25 (67.56) | 13 (61.90) | 0.665 |
| Vegetarian, N (%) | 16 (43.24) | 7 (33.33) | 0.462 |
| Body mass index, mean ± SD | 26.44 ± 5.23 | 26.53 ± 5.52 | 0.951 |
| Median duration of diabetes (y) (IQR) | 12 (8–20) | 12 (10–20) | 0.671 |
| Median duration of hypertension (years) (IQR) | 2 (0–8) | 0 (0–10) | 0.280 |
| HbA1c, mean ± SD | 7.48 ± 1.44 | 7.49 ± 1.48 | 0.980 |
| Use of metformin, N (%) | 4 (10.81) | 2 (9.52) | 0.877 |
| Median Log MAR BCVA of the worse eye (IQR) | 0.20 (0.50–2.50) | 0.00 (0.00–0.10) | <0.0001 |
| Associated systemic diseases (based on history & medications) | |||
| Hypertension, N (%) | 26 (70.27) | 9 (42.86) | 0.042 |
| Coronary artery disease, N (%) | 9 (24.32) | 6 (28.57) | 0.725 |
| Dyslipidemia, N (%) | 3 (8.11) | 3 (14.29) | 0.462 |
BCVA, best-corrected visual acuity; Cases, subjects with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy; controls, subjects with diabetes mellitus, but no diabetic retinopathy; HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin; IQR, interquartile range; SD, standard deviation.