A recent study published in the ‘American Journal of Ophthalmology’ revealed that levels of circulating Vitamin C, D and E were comparatively low in people with diabetic retinopathy than in those without.

The cross-sectional study included 517 diabetic participants aged 40 years and older in the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Serum vitamin D was converted to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-equivalent results, while other micronutrients were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Presence of DR was determined based on non-mydriatic fundus photographs.

The research team observed diabetic retinopathy 25.17% of the study cohort. After adjusting for multiple confounders, only serum vitamin C was associated with a lower risk of DR (odds ratio [OR]: 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.38-0.95). Regarding vitamins D and E, the pooled WMD was -3.06 (95% CI: -5.15 to -0.96) and -3.03 (95% CI: -4.24 to -1.82), respectively. No associations were identified between DR and circulating vitamin A or carotenoids. According to the team, more high-quality studies are required to assess the real effects of micronutrients on DR.