title: Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in relation to age at onset of the diabetes, treatment, duration and glycemic control.
abstract: To study the frequency of diabetic retinopathy in relation to age at diagnosis, treatment, duration of diabetes and glycemic control as measured by means of HbA1c levels, we performed a cross-sectional, registered-based study in the Helsingborg area of southern Sweden, comprising 2232 diabetic patients. Of the known diabetic population < 75 years old, approximately 70% were estimated to be included. We graded retinopathy according to the alternative classification of the Wisconsin study. With an age at diagnosis < 30 years (19% of patients) the prevalence of retinopathy was 64%, whereas with an age at diagnosis > or = 30 years the prevalence of retinopathy was 57% in insulin-treated, and 26% in non-insulin treated patients. Levels of glycated hemoglobin and duration of diabetes were associated with retinopathy in the group with younger onset. In the older-onset group, there was a relationship between retinopathy and duration of diabetes and insulin treatment; glycated hemoglobin had a relationship which was of borderline significance with any retinopathy, but clearly significant with the pooled group: severe non-proliferative, proliferative retinopathy and/or macular edema. Hyperglycemia and duration of diabetes were thus associated with retinopathy in both younger- and older-onset diabetes, but hyperglycemia less so in the older-onset group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Helsingborg Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henricsson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Groop
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heijl
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Janzon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin