Abnormal retinal autoregulation is detected by provoked stimulation with flicker light in well-controlled patients with type 1 diabetes without retinopathy.

Aims: Investigation of retinal vasodilation under flickering light is considered a dynamic analysis in contrast to the static analysis of retinal vessel equivalents (mean retinal vessel diameter). We investigated whether dynamic analysis apart from the static one in type 1 diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy with well-controlled diabetes could lead to additional information regarding retinal autoregulation.

Methods: 18 normotensive type 1 diabetic patients without retinopathy and 19 healthy subjects were included.

Diabetic patients with retinopathy show increased retinal venous oxygen saturation.

Background: Longstanding diabetes mellitus results in a disturbed microcirculation. A new imaging oximeter was used to investigate the effect of this disturbance on retinal vessel oxygen saturation.

Methods: The haemoglobin oxygen saturation was measured in the retinal arterioles and venules of 41 diabetic patients (65 +/- 12.

Influence of flickering light on the retinal vessels in diabetic patients.

Objective: Stimulation of the retina with flickering light increases retinal vessel diameters in humans. Nitric oxide is a mediator of the retinal vasodilation to flicker. The reduction of vasodilation is considered an endothelial dysfunction.