ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients in Tibet.Methods:A total of 239 patients with DR who received treatment in Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People's Government of Tibet Autonomous Region from December 2017 to December 2018 were included in this study. They were divided into Han nationality and Zang nationality groups according to ethnicity. The condition of DR was evaluated with nonmydriatic ocular fundus photography according to the staging criteria of the severity of retinopathy.Results:The prevalence of DR in Tibet was 18.0％. The prevalence of DR in Tibetan and Han patients with diabetes was 17.5% and 19.2%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of DR between Tibetan and Han patients with diabetes ( χ2 = 0.10, P = 0.754). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk factors of developing DR in Tibet included diabetes duration ( OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.05-1.24, P < 0.05), insulin therapy ( OR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.09-6.89, P < 0.05), fasting plasma glucose ( OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.07-1.75, P < 0.05) and hypertension ( OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.02-3.86, P < 0.05). Diabetes duration and fasting plasma glucose are independent risk factors of DR. However, although elevated glycated hemoglobin levels were high in Tibet, they could not be used to predict the risk for developing DR ( OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.82-1.25, P > 0.05). Conclusion:Hyperglycemia is an important risk factor of developing DR in Tibet. However, elevated glycated hemoglobin levels cannot be used to predict the risk of developing DR in Tibet. Findings from this study fill the gap in the research on DR prevalence and ethic difference of DR prevalence, providing scientific evidence for prevention and treatment of DR in high-altitude areas.