title: The Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy. IX. Four-year incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy when age at diagnosis is less than 30 years.
abstract: Population-based epidemiologic data on the incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy are important in medical counseling and rehabilitative services and for developing approaches to preventing diabetic retinopathy. We performed a population-based study in southern Wisconsin of insulin-taking diabetic persons diagnosed before 30 years of age. Of the 271 who had no retinopathy at the first visit, 160 (59%) developed it by the time they were reexamined four years later, and 75 (11%) of the 713 free of proliferative diabetic retinopathy developed it. Overall, worsening of retinopathy occurred in 41% of the population, whereas improvement occurred in only 7%. The incidence of proliferative retinopathy rose with increasing duration until 13 to 14 years of diabetes, thereafter remaining between 14% and 17%. These incidence data underscore the need for careful ophthalmologic follow-up of these people.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: DeMets
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D014922:Wisconsin