Key clinical point: Obesity appeared to be a protective factor for the development of diabetic macular edema (DME) and vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), whereas the waist-to-height ratio appeared to be a significant risk factor.
Major finding: Obesity was associated with a lower risk for DME (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.40; P = .041) and VTDR (aOR 0.37; P = .023), whereas a higher waist-to-height ratio was associated with a higher risk for DME (aOR 3.04; P = .041) and VTDR (aOR 2.74; P = .048), with all associations being more significant in women.
Study details: Findings are from an ongoing prospective study that included 2305 patients with T2D.
Disclosures: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Guangzhou Science & Technology Plan of Guangdong Pearl River Talents Program. No competing interests were declared.
Source: Li W et al. Association of different kinds of obesity with diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. BMJ Open. 2023;12:e056332 (May 19). Doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056332