Baseline Visual Acuity of Women with Diabetic Macular Edema is Worse than Men: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the baseline visual and anatomical parameters between the woman and
men with diabetic macular edema (DME) who underwent intravitreal ranibizumab treatment.
Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective case-control study. Treatment naïve DME
patients who were newly diagnosed and completed a follow time of 12 months in our clinic
were included. All the patients were prescribed to receive a loading dose of three consecutive monthly injections. Then the patients were followed monthly, and treated on a pro-re-nata
treatment regimen. Primary outcome measures of this study was the baseline best corrected
visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) in the female and male patients at
the baseline. Secondary outcome measures were the change in BCVA and CRT during the 12
months follow-up period.
Results: Sixty-three eyes of 44 women, and 110 eyes of 76 men were included in the study.
The mean baseline BCVA of the women was 0.72±0.44 (range 0.1-2.0) LogMAR, and the
men was 0.49±0.31 (range 0.0-2.0) which was statistically significant between the two groups
(p<0.0001). The mean baseline CRT of the women was 484±117 microns (range 312-759),
and the men was 467±100 microns (range 320-704) (p=0.3). The mean visit number in women
and men groups were 4.6±0.9 and 4.5±1.0, respectively (p=0.5). The mean injection number in
women and men groups were 4.1±1.6 and 3.8±1.4, respectively (p=0.2).
Conclusion: Our results revealed that there may be a significant difference in baseline BCVA
between women and men with DME at the first admittance. Perhaps we should be more sensitive in periodic ophthalmology consultations of women with DME and warn the general health
care practitioners, internal medicine specialists and endocrinologists in this regard.