Diabetic retinopathy, its incidence and relationship to diabetic control - abstract

ABSTRACT

Four hundred and twenty patients with diabetes mellitus were randomly selected from the Diabetic Clinic. The sex ratio MF was 13. One hundred and thirty-five patients or 32.1 percent had some form of retinopathy. Retinopathy was classified as follows Minor - Microaneurysms or exudates or small haemorrhages alone Moderate - Any two of the minor lesions occurring together plus Neo vascularization severe - Full blown picture with proliferating retinitis and/or blindness. Results: Cateracts 101 patients or 24 percent of all patients, Retinopathy 135 patients or 32 percent of all patients (a) Minor - 44 patients or 32 percent of 135 patients (b) Moderate - 41 patients or 32 percent of 135 patients (c) Severe 50 patients or 37 percent of 135 patients (d) Poliferating - 12 patients or 8.8 percent of 135 patients (e) Blind - 20 patients or 4.9 percent of all patients. The duration of diabetes ranged from 6 months to 28 years. Figures for the incidence of retinopathy in relationship to the duration of diabetes are presented. The relationship of retinopathy to control of diabetes showed that twenty patients considered as being well controlled showed minor or moderate degree of retinopathy, where as 30 and 80 patients with fair and poor control respectively showed moderate and severe retinopathy. A further analysis of the 20 patients with good diabetic control - showed that if control was assessed on the basis of 2-hour post prandial blood sugars, rather than on the absence of glycosuria, then all 20 patients who showed minor or moderate retinopathy - were in fact only fairly well controlled using blood sugar levels as a guide to diabetic control. It is concluded that 35 percent of all diabetics attending the Diabetic Clinic at the University Hospital of the West Indies, show some degree of retinopathy. In addition, 24 percent of the patients had cataracts of varying degrees. There was good correlation between control of hyperglycaemia and the incidence of retinopathy (AU)