Background: Overweight/obesity, a major public health problem, is often accompanied by abnormalities in both glucose and lipid metabolism, and may exist for many years before overt diabetes is diagnosed. Adopting healthy lifestyle choices early in life may reduce the risk of developing diabetes and lead to better retinal ocular health, long-term. Metabolic age relates to metabolic health and is a strong indicator that the body is healthy. It is defined as the number of calories the body burns at rest, basal metabolic rate (BMR), compared to the average BMR of one’s chronological age group. A low BMR is associated with a higher metabolic age and is linked with a cluster of metabolic conditions, including dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, impaired glucose tolerance and central obesity, i.e. precursors to diabetes.
Aims: The current study will examine the relationship, if any, between age gap (i.e. the difference between a subject’s metabolic age, measured using bio-electrical impedance technology, and their chronological age) and retinal ocular health, using novel diagnostic methods.
Hypothesis: A high metabolic age or larger age gap is associated with early retinal changes as detected with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA); retinal image fractal analysis (RIFA); macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and colour assessment and diagnosis (CAD) test.
Objectives: To examine the cross-sectional relationship between age gap and retinal vasculature using OCTA; employ RIFA to understand the relationship in healthy adults; measurement of MPOD i.e. retinal antioxidant status, using the Heidelberg Spectralis; assessment of colour detection thresholds and cone function, using the CAD test.
Outcomes: Identification of retinal markers associated with raised metabolic age, i.e. precursors to the metabolic syndrome/diabetes, can be used to educate young adults on preventative health measures and may lead to healthier retina, long-term. Consequently, this information can support the development of new public health preventative intervention programmes.
