A recent study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism has identified early structural changes in the retina linked to obesity, even in otherwise healthy individuals. Using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), the researchers found that higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with alterations in distinct retinal layers, providing new insights into how obesity may affect eye health before overt disease symptoms appear.
Based primarily at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, the researchers conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study analyzing SD-OCT scans from 92 healthy asymptomatic participants. The subjects were then divided into non-obese (BMI < 25) and pre-obese/obese (BMI ≥ 25) groups, and retinal layer volumes were compared to assess obesity-related differences.
The findings indicated that those individuals with a higher BMI had a significantly thinner RNFL, particularly in the superior, inferior, and nasal perifoveal regions. The inner nuclear layer (INL) volume was also observed as being significantly higher in the pre-obese/obese group, with the most notable changes occurring in the inferior perifoveal region.
While total retinal volume did not significantly differ between the two groups, the localized structural changes in the RNFL and INL indicate that obesity does affect retinal integrity at a microscopic level.
The findings suggest that ocular biomarkers could serve as early indicators of obesity-related systemic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, and underscore the importance of retinal imaging as a potential tool for monitoring obesity-related health risks.
Given the significant INL increase detected in those individuals with a high BMI, the researchers recommend further investigations be made into Müller glia reactivity to the metabolic, osmotic, and inflammatory stress caused by obesity.
