Prevalence of type-II diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy: the Gaddap study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of type-II Diabetes mellitus (DM) in the endogenous population of Gaddap town and also to evaluate the status of Diabetic retinopathy (DR) in this group.


METHODS
Descriptive study.


METHODS
Isra Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital, Karachi, from January 2006 till December 2008.


METHODS
This community based study of subjects of either gender was carried out in the Gaddap town. Three primary eye care centres were established in the existing primary health care (PHC) facilities, to screen the target Population aged 30 years and above, and who met other inclusion criteria for DM and DR respectively. Patients requiring intervention were managed accordingly. Data was entered and analyzed using Microsoft Visual Basic 6 and Microsoft Access.


RESULTS
Out of the cohort of 19211 subjects, 1677 patients were found Diabetic, giving the prevalence of DM in Gaddap town at 8.73%, with 1258 (6.55%) known and 419 (2.18%) newly diagnosed cases. DR was seen in 460 (27.43%) of the Diabetic cases with 126 (7.51%) patients requiring urgent intervention for vision threatening complications.


CONCLUSIONS
The result validates the importance of early screening of DR in people suffering from DM for possible management and prevention of sight threatening complications in the early stage of the disease and advocates the inclusion of primary eye care as a part of PHC system.
Mahar
P S
PS
Department of Ophthalmology, Isra Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Karachi. salim.mahar@aku.edu
Awan
M Zahid
MZ
Manzar
Nabeel
N
Memon
M Saleh
MS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence