Purpose
This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and associated factors of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy among type
2 diabetic patients in Kinmen, Taiwan.
Methods
From 1991 to 1993, 971 type 2 diabetic patients in Kinmen underwent diabetic retinopathy screening performed by a panel of
ophthalmologists using indirect ophthalmoscopy and 45° color fundus retinal photographs.
Results
Of the 971 patients screened in 1991–1993, 578 (59.5%) were examined for this study. Diabetic retinopathy was diagnosed in
127 patients (22.0%), including nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy in 13.3%, proliferative diabetic retinopathy in 1.4%,
legal blindness in 1.4%, and ungradable diabetic retinopathy in 5.9%. Significant associated factors of nonproliferative diabetic
retinopathy based on multiple logistic regression analysis were fasting plasma glucose (FPG) at baseline [≥126 mg/dl vs. <126 mg/dl;
odds ratio (OR) = 2.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01–9.09], 2-h postload at baseline (≥200 vs. <200 mg/dl; OR = 1.48;
95% CI, 1.09–2.07); HbA1c at follow-up (≥7% vs. <7%; OR = 6.54; 95% CI, 3.01–14.20), duration of diabetes (≥15 years vs. <10 years; OR = 6.72; 95%
CI, 2.13–21.18), and incremental systolic blood pressure between baseline and follow-up (OR = 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00–1.04).
Conclusions
In addition to the longer duration of type 2 diabetes, FPG at baseline, poorly controlled glucose concentration, and altered
blood pressure may increase the risk of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients. Jpn J Ophthalmol 2006;50:44–52 © Japanese Ophthalmological Society 2006
Key words diabetic retinopathy - population-based study - prevalence - type 2 diabetes
This paper was presented at the 18th Congress of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, Taipei, Taiwan, in 2001.