Relationship between HbA1c and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Serum Level in Diabetic Retinopathy Patients

This study aims to determine the relationship between HbA1c level and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) serum levels in diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients. VEGF is a proangiogenic glycoprotein, which increases vascular permeability in DR. This is an analytical cross-sectional study of DR among type 2 diabetes patients using a purposive sampling technique. The study population was grouped into non-proliferative DR (NPDR) and proliferative DR (PDR). HbA1c and VEGF serum levels were assessed by taking the patient's venous blood. A total of 82 subjects were included, in which the mean HbA1c levels were 8.17% ± 1.91%, and the median VEGF levels were 85.78 ng/L (range 38.23-149.43 ng/L). A total of 23 out of 35 NPDR patients were female (65.7%), while 29 out of 47 PDR patients were male (61.7%). Approximately 61.7% of PDR patients had diabetes for more than 10 years, while 62.9% of NPDR patients had diabetes for less than 10 years. The PDR group had a higher mean HbAlc level than the NPDR group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p =0.214). There was absolutely no difference in median VEGF levels between the two groups. Spearman's analysis of correlations found no correlation between HbA1 and VEGF levels in DR, both in the NPDR and PDR groups (Correlation coefficient 0.183 and -0.022, respectively). In patients with diabetic retinopathy, there was no statistically significant association between HbA1c and VEGF serum levels. Poor glycemic control's effects on the advancement of VEGF were not demonstrated in this investigation. A marker of the severity of DR may not be the serum level of VEGF.