Correlation of Risk Factors with Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy - A Retrospective Study.

ABSTRACT

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major microvascular complication of diabetes. It is the most common cause of blindness in the working-age population in developed countries. We wanted to analyse the correlation between risk factors of blindness like duration of diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, HbA1c with severity of diabetic retinopathy in order to design appropriate strategies for prevention and treatment of diabetic retinopathy.METHODSThis was a retrospective study of all diabetic patients with diabetic retinopathy who presented to the eye OPD at KS Hegde Medical Academy from April 1st 2018 to March 31st 2019 that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A dilated fundus examination was done to note the grade of diabetic retinopathy. The demographic data along with the duration of diabetes, HbA1c values, Cholesterol levels and Blood pressure were documented and correlated with the severity of diabetic retinopathy.RESULTSThe study included 92 patients, of which 63 were males and 29 were females with a mean age of 54.5±2.8 years. We found that there was statistically significant association between the duration of diabetes and HbA1c levels with severity of diabetic retinopathy (p= 0.022 and 0.034 association), whereas there was no statistically significant correlation between blood pressure and cholesterol levels with severity of diabetic retinopathy (p= 0.52 and 0.456 respectively)CONCLUSIONSDiabetic retinopathy showed a male preponderance, with risk factors like duration of diabetes and HbA1c levels having a significant association with the severity of diabetic retinopathy. Therefore, it is essential to have a good systemic control of diabetes with diet and suitable medications. Diabetic retinopathy is a preventable cause of blindness when diagnosed early and screening of diabetic retinopathy must be done in all diabetics to prevent the progression of the disease.