title: Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy in Filipino vs Caucasian Americans: a retrospective cross-sectional epidemiologic study of two convenience samples.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Filipino and Caucasian Americans in two clinic populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cross-sectional epidemiologic study of two convenience samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred twelve Filipino and 600 Caucasian patients aged 40 years or older examined by two community-based comprehensive ophthalmology clinics during a one-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of self-reported type 2 diabetes mellitus among Filipino (F) and Caucasian Americans (C) was 40.6% and 24.8%, respectively (P<.001). In the subpopulation with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=375: 208 Filipino; 149 Caucasian), there was a statistically insignificant higher prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among Filipino diabetics compared to Caucasians (F vs C: all forms of diabetic retinopathy, 24.5% vs 16.8%, P=.08; non-proliferative retinopathy, 17.3% vs 12.8%, P=.24; proliferative retinopathy, 7.2% vs. 4.0%, P=.21). In multivariate analyses of the diabetic subpopulation, Filipino ethnicity was not a significant predictor of diabetic retinopathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Filipino Americans may have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy than Caucasian Americans. Among those with type 2 diabetes, however, Filipino Americans were not found to be more likely to show manifestations of diabetic retinopathy than Caucasian Americans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Sáles
authors.forename: Roland Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Anthony K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Agadzi
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hee
authors.forename: Kuldev
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Shan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010679:Philippines / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*