Original Article Retinal Hemodynamics in Early Diabetic Macular Edema

The objective of this study was to establish the baseline retinal hemodynamic characteristics of stratified groups of diabetic patients at increasing risk for the development of diabetic macular edema (DME). Group 1 had 50 control subjects, group 2 had 56 diabetic patients without clinically visible retinopathy, group 3 had 54 diabetic patients with microaneurysms and/or hard exudates within two disc di-ameters of the fovea in the absence of clinically manifest DME, and group 4 had 40 patients with clinically manifest DME. Retinal hemodynamics (diameter, velocity, maxi-mum-to-minimum velocity ratio, and flow) were assessed. Intraocular pressure, blood pressure, and relevant sys-temic markers of diabetes control and complications were also undertaken. The maximum-to-minimum velocity ratio was elevated with increasing risk of clinically significan