Glycemic gap as a useful surrogate marker for glucose variability and progression of diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

(1) Background: Recent studies have reported that the glucose variability (GV), irrespective of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), could be an additional risk factor for the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, measurements for GV, such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) variability, are expensive and time consuming. (2) Methods: This present study aims to explore the correlation between the glycemic gap as a measurement of GV, and DR. In total, 2565 patients were included in this study. We evaluated the effect of the different types of glycemic gaps on DR progression. (3) Results: We found that the area under the curve (AUC) values of both the glycemic gap and negative glycemic gap showed an association with DR progression. (4) Conclusions: On eliminating the possible influences of chronic blood glucose controls, the results show that GV has deleterious effects that are associated with the progression of DR. The glycemic gap is a simple measurement of GV, and the predictive value of the negative glycemic gap in DR progression shows that GV and treatment-related hypoglycemia may cause the development of DR. Individual treatment goals with a reasonable HbA1c and minimal glucose fluctuations may help in preventing DR.