Choroidal Blood Flow Changes During Dark/Light Transitions in Patients With Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM)

Inclusion Criteria:

For healthy control subjects:

• Men and women aged over 18 years, matched in regard to age, sex and smoking status
• Normal findings in the medical history and physical examination unless the investigator considers an abnormality to be clinically irrelevant
• Normal laboratory values unless the investigator considers an abnormality to be clinically irrelevant
• Normal ophthalmic findings, Ametropia < 3 dpt for healthy control subjects

For patients with IDDM:

• Men and women aged over 18 years
• Normal findings in the medical history and physical examination unless the investigator considers an abnormality to be clinically irrelevant
• Long standing IDDM > 10 years
• Mild or moderate to severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (defined according to the MAHC)
• Ametropia < 3 dpt

Exclusion Criteria:

Any of the following will exclude a healthy subject from the study:

• Regular use of vasoactive medication with may interfere with the study procedure, abuse of alcoholic beverages, participation in a clinical trial in the 3 weeks preceding the study
• Symptoms of a clinically relevant illness in the 3 weeks before the first study day
• Blood donation during the previous 3 weeks

Any of the following will exclude a patient with IDDM from the study:

• Evidence of any relevant retinal or choroidal disease (Glaucoma, age related macula degeneration, cataract, history of central retinal artery obstruction or central retinal vein thrombosis)
• Ophthalmological surgery (history of photo laser coagulation, including argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT), trabeculectomy, deep sclerectomy)
• History of intravitreal injection with anti-proliferative therapy
• Need for dialysis
• Non-treated systemic hypertension (SPB>150, DBP>95)
• Evidence of coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, stenocardia, congestive heart failure, peripheral occlusive vascular disease, cardiac autonomic neuropathy
• Symptoms of a clinically relevant illness in the 3 weeks before the first study day
• Blood donation during the previous 3 weeks