Diabetic Retinopathy: Diagnostic Challenges and Impact of Physical Activity

Introduction: Diabetes represents a major public health challenge, affecting over 463 million people according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Among its complications, diabetic retinopathy stands out as the leading cause of blindness in industrialized countries. Physical activity is now recognized as a cornerstone of diabetes management, and its impact on diabetic retinopathy is of growing interest. Observation: Mr. A.E, a 54-year-old man, presents with progressive deterioration of his vision. Family history of diabetes and hypertension is noted. He engages in one hour of physical activity daily, including treadmill running and indoor cycling. Despite recent optical correction, his visual acuity remains at 3/10 unimproved. Ocular imaging, notably fluorescein retinal angiography and optical coherence tomography, reveals proliferative diabetic retinopathy with bilateral macular edema. Blood tests, performed after physical activity, show normal values of blood glucose and HbA1c, delaying the initiation of treatment and promoting the progression of retinopathy. Despite appropriate management, no significant improvement in visual function is observed during follow-up. Conclusion: The management of diabetic retinopathy requires an approach integrating physical activity. A better understanding of the interaction between physical activity and diabetic retinopathy is needed to optimize prevention and treatment strategies.

Ocular Complications in Diabetic Patients: Prevalence, Impact on Quality of Life, and Implications for Healthcare

Introduction: Diabetes, a chronic disease characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, poses a major global health challenge. In Gabon, 10% of the population is affected by this condition, highlighting the need to actively understand and manage it. Ocular complications of diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts, have a devastating impact on patients quality of life and represent a crucial issue for healthcare systems. Methodology: This study conducted in Libreville from February 9, 2022, to April 15, 2022, was cross-sectional, longitudinal, and descriptive, with prospective data collection. Participants were diabetic patients regularly followed in the endocrinology department of CHUL, who were referred for a comprehensive ophthalmological examination at CHUO. Sampling was exhaustive, with strict inclusion criteria aimed at ensuring the representativeness of the study population. Results: The mean age of participants was 57.5 ± 13.2 years with a male-to-female ratio of 0.8. Personal histories were dominated by hypertension, while family histories were dominated by diabetes. Ocular complications of diabetes included refractive disorders (78.9%), cataracts (31.7%), glaucoma (78.9%), and diabetic retinopathy (13.7%). These ocular complications had a significant impact on participants’ quality of life, leading to impaired vision (78.9%), difficulties in carrying out daily activities (62.2%), the need for caregiver assistance (50.3%), high levels of stress and anxiety (68.9%), regular medication intake (71.4%), adherence to a specific diet (55.9%), and frequent blood glucose monitoring (74.5%). Conclusion: This study highlights the major impact of diabetic ocular complications on patients’ quality of life.

Study of the Types of Refractive Disturbances Obseved during Hyperglycemia in Humans

Introduction: Refractive disturbances have been observed during hyperglycemia. However, there remains controversy as to the types of disturbances that it induces. Objective: To determine the types of refractive disturbances observed during hyperglycemia in humans. Population and Methods: This was an observational and cross-sectional study with an analytical purpose conducted from July to November 2021. Emmetropia, hypermetropia, and myopia as well as blood glucose levels were compared between day 0 (D0) and day 30 (D30) after initiation of hypoglycemic therapy in 222 people (444 eyes) with recently discovered hyperglycemia (Chi-2;p Results: At D0, the mean of blood glucose was 18.1 mmol/L ± 8.2 vs 6.9 mmol/L ± 3.0 at D30 (p = 0.001). At day 0, 80% (n = 355) of eyes were hypermetropic compared to 73.9% (n = 328) at D30 (p = 0.02). At D0, 14.2% of eyes (n = 63) were myopic compared to 11.3% (n = 50) at D30 (p = 0.02). Refraction improved from 0.75 to 1.5D for 34.5% (n = 18) of hypermetropic eyes and 10.2% (n = 2) of myopic eyes. Conclusion: Our results show that hypermetropia is the most common ametropia during hyperglycemia. Moreover, these data suggest that the normalization of blood glucose improves refraction.