In certain populations, prevention and control of type 2 diabetes mellitus may be helpful in preventing retinal vein occlusion.
A causal relationship may exist between genetically predicted type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO), according to a study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology.
Previous studies have revealed a link between T2DM and RVO, but researchers are uncertain if the link is causal or not. Jian Huang conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to assess the causal relationship of genetically predicted T2DM to RVO.
A database from a genome-wide meta-analysis included 48,286 cases and 250,671 controls for T2DM and from a genome-wide study of 372 cases and 182,573 controls in the FinnGen project for RVO. An independent validation dataset for T2DM (n=12,931 cases, n=57,196 controls) was used to validate the strength of the findings. Sensitivity analyses and multivariable MR adjusting for common risk factors of RVO were conducted in addition to the main MR analysis using the inverse variance weighted approach.
Prevention & Control of T2DM Suggested to Help Prevent RVO
The study revealed that genetically predicted T2DM is causally linked with the risk for RVO (OR, 2.823; 95% CI, 2.072-3.847, P=4.868×10-11). This link was reinforced by sensitivity analyses using the weighted mode (OR, 2.370; 95% CI, 1.321-4.252, P=5.159×10-3), weighted median (OR, 2.415; 95% CI, 1.411-4.132; P=1.294×10-3), maximum likelihood (OR, 2.871; 95% CI, 2.100-3.924; P=3.719×10-11), MR-Egger (OR, 2.441; 95% CI, 1.149-5.184; P=2.335×10-2), and MR-PRESSO (OR, 2.823; 95% CI, 2.135-3.733, P=5.150×10-10) methods. After taking into consideration common risk factors for RVO, this correlation endured in multivariable MR (OR, 1.748; 95% CI, 1.238-2.467; P=1.490×10-3).
Future studies are needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms, Huang noted. “Our results showed that genetically predicted T2DM was positively associated with a greater risk [for] developing RVO,” he wrote. “To our knowledge, this is the first MR study providing evidence that T2DM may be an important contributor to the development of RVO.” Therefore, he added, prevention and control of T2DM may be helpful in preventing RVO in certain populations.
