Retinal Damage May Begin Below Prediabetes Thresholds
Analysis of over 32,000 UK Biobank participants suggests retinal neurodegeneration begins at A1c levels below current prediabetes thresholds. Researchers identified a turning point for ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thinning at an A1c of 5.4, and for total macular thickness at 5.3, both lower than the 5.7 prediabetes cutoff. This implies neuronal loss may occur before standard diagnostic criteria are met, potentially necessitating a reevaluation of diabetes diagnosis thresholds.
