Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41625926›Full record

ArticleCureus2025

Association of Diabetic Retinopathy and Arterial Stiffness With Cardiovascular Disease in Type 2 Diabetes.

Chrysa Agapitou, Konstantinos Pappelis, Alexandros Chatzirallis, Stamatios Lampsas, Dimitrios Kazantzis, Alexia Risi-Koziona, Panagiotis Theodossiadis, Ignatios Ikonomidis, Vaia Lambadiari, Irini Chatziralli

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In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Chrysa Agapitou2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC.
Konstantinos Pappelis2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC.
Alexandros Chatzirallis2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC.
Stamatios Lampsas2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC.
Dimitrios Kazantzis2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC.
Alexia Risi-Koziona2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC.
Panagiotis Theodossiadis2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC.
Ignatios Ikonomidis2nd Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC.
Vaia Lambadiari2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute and Diabetes Center, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC.
Irini Chatziralli2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDiabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) are well-established microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), resulting from chronic hyperglycemia-induced damage to retinal vasculature that, in their advanced forms, are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

objectiveThis study aims to estimate the potential association between DR or DME and CVD, as well as systemic vascular metrics.

methodsIn a cross-sectional design study, 73 patients with T2DM were recruited. Demographic data and clinical characteristics of patients regarding their diabetes status and comorbidities were recorded. Patients underwent a thorough ocular examination, as well as endothelial function and arterial stiffness evaluation. Specifically, central systolic blood pressure (cSBP), central diastolic blood pressure (cDBP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (Aix), and the perfused boundary region of the sublingual arterial microvessels (PBR5-25) were measured. Multivariate binary logistic regression and mixed linear regression models were used to examine the associations between CVD, as well as systemic vascular metrics, and DR or DME.

resultsIn a model adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status, HbA1c levels, and hypertension, DR was significantly associated with higher odds for CVD (OR=13.3; 95% CI: 1.5-115.0, p=0.019). The presence of DME was not associated with CVD. Furthermore, higher PWV was significantly associated with more severe DR (b=0.09; 95% CI: 0.01-0.16, p=0.031).

conclusionsThere is a strong association between DR and CVD, while higher PWV was significantly associated with more severe DR. These findings suggest that screening for CVD is crucial in patients with DR, especially in cases of greater severity of DR.

Indexed as

arterial stiffnesscardiovascular diseasediabetic macular edemadiabetic retinopathyendothelial dysfunction

Identifiers

PMID41625926
PMCPMC12854538

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.