Association of Metabolic Syndrome with Macular Thickness and Volume in Older Adults : A Population-Based Optical Coherence Tomography Study

• Background: To explore the associations of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and individual components with macular thickness and volume among rural-dwelling Chinese older adults.Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study included 705 participants (age ≥60 years) derived from the MIND-China study. In 2018–2019, we collected data through face-to-face interview, clinical examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination, and blood test. We measured macular thickness and volume using spectral-domain OCT. MetS was defined following the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria, the IDF/American Heart Association (AHA) criteria, the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, and the Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS) criteria. Data were analyzed with multivariable general linear models.Results: MetS was significantly associated with thinner macula in central (multivariable-adjusted β = −5.29; 95% confidence interval: −9.31 to −1.26), parafoveal (−2.85; −5.73 to 0.04) and perifoveal regions (−4.37; −6.79 to −1.95) when using the IDF criteria, in the perifoveal regions (−3.82; −6.18 to −1.47) when using the IDF/AHA criteria, and in the central region (−5.63; −10.25 to −1.02) when using the CDS criteria, and with reduced macular volume when using the IDF (−0.16; −0.26 to −0.07) and IDF/AHA (−0.13; −0.22 to −0.04) criteria. In the parafoveal region, the IDF-defined MetS was significantly associated with thinner retina in men (β = −6.25; −10.94 to −1.56) but not in women. Abdominal obesity (−2.83; −5.41 to −0.25) and elevated fasting blood glucose (−2.65; −5.08 to −0.21) were associated with thinner macular thickness in the perifoveal region.Conclusion: MetS is associated with macular thinning and reduced macular volume among rural-dwelling older adults, and the associations vary by the defining criteria of MetS.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap -- Gerontologi, medicinsk/hälsovetenskaplig inriktning (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences -- Gerontology, specialising in Medical and Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kardiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems (hsv//eng)

Keyword

metabolic syndrome

macular thickness

spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

old age

population-based study

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)