Incidence of retinopathy and associated risk factors from time of diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence at baseline and 4-year incidence of retinopathy and its relation to glycemic control from the time of diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes.


METHODS
Geographically defined population-based study.


METHODS
Twenty-eight-county area in Wisconsin.


METHODS
Incipient cohort of children, teenagers, and young adults (n = 354) up to 30 years of age with newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes.


METHODS
Diabetic retinopathy as determined by gradings from 30 degrees color stereoscopic photographs of the Diabetic Retinopathy Study 7 standard fields.


RESULTS
The prevalence of retinopathy at diagnosis was 1.3%. Four years after diagnosis of diabetes, retinopathy was first identified in 5.1% of our cohort and in 9.7% of those 15 years of age or older. After controlling for age, subjects with a mean glycosylated hemoglobin level of 12% or greater were 3.2 times as likely (95% confidence interval, 1.1-9.9) to have retinopathy present at follow-up as were subjects with a mean glycosylated hemoglobin level of less than 12%.


CONCLUSIONS
Population-based data on the frequency and incidence of retinopathy from the time of diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus provided by this study suggest a possible reduction in risk of developing retinopathy in those in whom glycemic control is achieved from the time of diagnosis.
Klein
R
R
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, USA.
Palta
M
M
Allen
C
C
Shen
G
G
Han
D P
DP
D'Alessio
D J
DJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010781:Photography; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin