TABLE 1.
Clinical characteristics of the study population according to DR status (NDR, mild DR, or more than mild DR).
| Variables | NDR (n = 84) | Mild DR (n = 27) | More than mild DR (n = 40) | P-value |
| Age, y; mean ± SD | 62.3 ± 8.6 | 65.5 ± 8.0 | 66.3 ± 8.2* | 0.030 |
| Male, n (%) | 44 (52.4) | 14 (51.9) | 16 (40.0) | 0.413 |
| Vascular risk factors at baseline | ||||
| Smoking, n (%) | 22 (23.8) | 11 (40.7) | 9 (22.5) | 0.178 |
| Alcohol consumption, n (%) | 14 (16.7) | 6 (22.2) | 9 (22.5) | 0.675 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 51 (60.7) | 18 (66.7) | 27 (67.5) | 0.714 |
| Duration of diabetes, years, median (IQR) | 10 (4, 15) | 12 (10, 20) | 19.5 (10, 21)* | <0.001 |
| Previous stroke, n (%) | 14 (16.7) | 5 (18.5) | 9 (22.5) | 0.737 |
| Coronary heart disease, n (%) | 6 (7.1) | 2 (7.4) | 0 (0) | 0.218 |
| Carotid artery plaques, n (%) | 51 (60.7) | 19 (70.4) | 29 (72.5) | 0.367 |
| Systolic BP, mmHg, mean ± SD | 135 ± 18 | 129 ± 17 | 143 ± 21*§ | 0.009 |
| Diastolic BP, mmHg, mean ± SD | 78 ± 10 | 75 ± 12 | 78 ± 11 | 0.314 |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean ± SD | 24.16 ± 3.57 | 23.58 ± 2.92 | 23.88 ± 3.11 | 0.715 |
| Laboratory tests | ||||
| Fasting glucose, mmol//L, median (IQR) | 8.38 (6.62, 11.30) | 8.06 (6.29, 12.09) | 8.79 (6.89, 11.70) | 0.774 |
| HbA1c, %, median (IQR) | 8.40 (7.73, 10.50) | 8.40 (7.30, 10.50) | 8.45 (7.53, 9.95) | 0.880 |
| Total cholesterol, mmol//L, mean ± SD | 4.29 ± 1.02 | 4.60 ± 1.59 | 4.46 ± 1.34 | 0.492 |
| Triglycerides, mmol//L, mean ± SD | 1.86 ± 1.17 | 1.81 ± 1.41 | 1.70 ± 1.02 | 0.771 |
| LDL-C, mmol//L, mean ± SD | 2.42 ± 0.71 | 2.56 ± 0.90 | 2.55 ± 0.87 | 0.605 |
| HDL-C, mmol//L, mean ± SD | 1.04 ± 0.29 | 1.14 ± 0.37 | 1.10 ± 0.30 | 0.268 |
| Serum creatinine, μmol//L, mean ± SD | 63.26 ± 19.10 | 67.76 ± 28.84 | 73.60 ± 34.14 | 0.112 |
| Urinary microalbumin/creatinine ratio, mg/g, median (IQR) | 11.80 (7.15, 28.73) | 27.00 (8.40, 58.40)* | 20.80 (9.33, 163.65)* | 0.012 |
| Medication use | ||||
| Insulin treatment, n (%) | 25 (29.8) | 6 (22.2) | 15 (37.5) | 0.402 |
| Hypoglycemic agents, n (%) | 48 (57.1) | 14 (51.9) | 20 (50.0) | 0.727 |
| Antihypertensive medication, n (%) | 30 (35.7) | 11 (40.7) | 17 (42.5) | 0.740 |
| Antiplatelet medication, n (%) | 15 (17.9) | 8 (29.6) | 6 (15.0) | 0.294 |
| Lipid-modifying medication, n (%) | 28 (33.3) | 11 (40.7) | 10 (25.0) | 0.389 |
| Retinal vessel changes | ||||
| CRAE, μm, mean ± SD meanSD | 109.15 ± 8.96 | 106.37 ± 6.70 | 105.32 ± 7.62* | 0.039 |
| CRVE, μm, mean ± SD | 191.58 ± 16.47 | 200.34 ± 9.63* | 207.15 ± 8.59* | <0.001 |
| AVR, mean ± SD | 0.57 ± 0.04 | 0.53 ± 0.04* | 0.51 ± 0.04*§ | <0.001 |
| Total MRI burden score of CSVD | <0.001 | |||
| Mild burden, n (%) | 62 (73.8) | 14 (51.9) | 10 (25.0)* | |
| Moderate to severe burden, n (%) | 22 (26.2) | 13 (48.1) | 30 (75.0)* |
DR, diabetic retinopathy; NDR, no diabetic retinopathy; SD, standard deviation; IQR, interquartile range; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; CRAE, Central Retinal Arterial Equivalent; CRVE, Central Retinal Venous Equivalent; AVR, arteriole-to-venule ratio; CSVD, cerebral small vessel disease.
*Indicates that the difference was statistically significant compared with the NDR group.
§Indicates that the difference was statistically significant compared with the mild DR group.