Choroidal thickness as predictor of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in adults with type 1 diabetes
Castelblanco, Esmeralda (Washington University School of Medicine)
Salvador-Miras, Ignacio (Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona, Catalunya))
Carbonell Puig, Marc (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol. Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol)
Gratacòs, Mònica (Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol)
Traveset, Alicia (Hospital Arnau de Vilanova (Lleida, Catalunya))
Correig Fraga, Eudald (Universitat Rovira i Virgili)
Hernández García, Marta (Hospital Arnau de Vilanova (Lleida, Catalunya))
Alonso Pedrol, Núria (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina)
Franch-Nadal, Josep (Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol)
Mauricio Puente, Dídac (Universitat de Vic)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Patients with Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. This study used carotid ultrasound to identify subclinical carotid plaques and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to evaluate ophthalmological markers as predictors of carotid plaque presence in 242 adults with T1DM, employing machine learning models for early risk assessment. Individuals with carotid plaques (N=67) did not show significant differences in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL) and inner plexiform layer (IPL) complex compared to those without (N=175). However, subfoveal and temporal choroidal area thickness significantly decreased in individuals with plaques (P≤0. 01). Machine learning identified age, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, and diabetic retinopathy as key predictors for plaque presence, while ophthalmological measures made a modest contribution. Choroidal thickness exhibited an inverse relationship with plaque risk. Despite robust accuracy and high specificity (82-85% and 92-98%, respectively), the models were overly conservative in predicting positive instances (balanced accuracy of 0. 60 for the left eye and 0. 71 for the right eye). If further validated, choroidal thickness could complement traditional risk factors as an early marker of CV risk in T1DM patients. Integrating this measure in specialized clinical settings could help identify individuals who may need additional cardiovascular assessments.
Grants:	Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI17/01362 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CB15/00071
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Type 1 diabetes mellitus ; Carotid artery plaque ; Subclinical atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular risk ; Optical coherence tomography ; Choroid thickness ; Machine learning ; Cardiovascular diseases ; Retinal diseases ; Type 1 diabetes
Published in:	Scientific reports, Vol. 15 (march 2025) , ISSN 2045-2322

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-93534-z
PMID: 40069268

13 p, 2.6 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut d'Investigació en Ciencies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP)
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles