21 Apr 2025 • New research highlights a protective link between dietary iron intake and diabetic retinopathy (DR) risk in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In an analysis of 1,172 adults from the NHANES cohort, those consuming 13.2–18.1 mg/d of iron had 41% lower odds of developing DR (OR 0.59) and a 58% lower risk of vision-threatening DR (VTDR) (OR 0.42) compared to those with the lowest iron intake.

The protective effects were especially notable in females (OR 0.44), non-Hispanic Blacks (0.38), those with obesity (0.45), high HbA1c (0.56), long diabetes duration (0.40) and low haemoglobin levels (0.17).

These findings underscore the potential role of moderate dietary iron intake in preventing diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients.

Source: BMC Endocrine Disorders | Read Full Story