Retinopathy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and its association with risk factors in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients in two primary care diabetic clinics in Kuwait.


METHODS
All newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients attending Ferdous and Yarmouk Health Care Diabetic Clinics in Farwaniya and Asma Health Areas, respectively, during the period of January 2002 to July 2004 were examined for the presence of diabetic retinopathy by color fundus photographs. Risk factors such as sex, age, hypertension, nephropathy, hyperglycemia, level of glycated hemoglobin, microalbuminuria and hyperlipidemia were evaluated by statistical analysis for their possible association with the presence of diabetic retinopathy at the time of diagnosis of diabetes.


RESULTS
Of the 92 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients studied, diabetic retinopathy was present in 7 (7.6%) patients. Two of the 7 patients had maculopathy that needed treatment by photocoagulation. High glycated hemoglobin in 51 patients (55.4%), microalbuminuria in 25 (27.2%), hypertension in 29 (315%), hyperlipidemia in 69 (75%), obesity in 45 (48.9%) and overweight in 37(40.2%) were noted in the study population. Microalbuminuria was weakly associated with the presence of retinopathy (p = 0.08) at the time of diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, but other risk factors were not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 7.6% among the study population. Maculopathy was present in 2 of the 7 patients needing photocoagulation.
Al-Zuabi
Homoud
H
Department of Primary Health Care, Farwania Health Area, Kuwait. alzeabi@hotmail.com
Al-Tammar
Yaqoub
Y
Al-Moataz
Reem
R
Al-Sabti
Khalid
K
Wani
Vivek B
VB
Hamama
Fahad
F
Mohammad
Hanan
H
Al-Suwayan
Mai H
MH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014787:Vision Tests