title: High HbA1c level was the most important factor associated with prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Taiwanese type II diabetic patients with a fixed duration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To identify the prevalence and related risk factors for diabetic retinopathy (DR) in non-insulin dependent diabetes in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of type II diabetic patients in the Diabetes Shared Care System database of our Hospital enrolled from 2002 to 2009. A retinopathy severity score was assigned according to fundus examination by indirect ophthalmoscopy or binocular biomicroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data was collected on 901 subjects, 497 males and 404 females. Of these, 230 (25.53 %) had DR at enrolment. Compared with patients without DR, those with DR were more likely to be female (p = 0.03) or have higher HbA1c (p < 0.001), longer duration of diabetes (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), higher systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), higher diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.05), as well as impaired renal function (p = 0.001). In subgroup analysis stratified by diabetes duration, HbA1c was the most consistent independent risk factor associated to the prevalence of DR. Higher systolic blood pressure and female sex were significantly independent risk factors only in patients with a duration of diabetes < 4 years. On the contrary, old onset age showed a protective effect against DR only in those with a disease duration > 8 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High HbA1c level was the most important factor associated with prevalence of DR in Taiwanese type II DM patients with a fixed duration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, 386, Ta-Chung 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 813, Taiwan, sjsheu@vghks.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Shwu-Jiuan
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sheu
authors.forename: Ni-Chun
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lu-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Ger
authors.forename: Wan-Ling
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Jiun-Yo
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shih-Chou
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yu-Harn
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Horng
authors.forename: Hing-Chung
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D014280:Triglycerides; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human