Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Apr;36(4):449-55.
doi: 10.15537/smj.2015.4.10371.

Prevalence and causes of blindness and diabetic retinopathy in Southern Saudi Arabia

Saad Hajar  1 , Ali Al Hazmi, Mustafa Wasli, Ahmed Mousa, Mansour Rabiu
Affiliations

Prevalence and causes of blindness and diabetic retinopathy in Southern Saudi Arabia

Saad Hajar et al. Saudi Med J. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and causes of blindness and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Jazan district, Southern Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Using the standardized Rapid Assessment for Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) and DR cross-sectional methodology, 3800 subjects were randomly selected from the population of ≥50 years of age in Jazan, Saudi Arabia between November 2011 and January 2012. Participants underwent screening comprised of interview, random blood glucose test, and ophthalmic assessment including visual acuity (VA) and fundus examination. Among participants with VA less than 6/18 in either eye, the cause(s) of visual impairment was determined. Participants were classified as diabetic if they had previous diagnoses of diabetes, or random blood glucose more than 200 mg/dl. Diabetic participants were assessed for DR using dilated fundus examination. All data were recorded using the RAAB + DR standardized forms.

Results: The prevalence of bilateral blindness less than 3/60 was 3.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.74 - 3.90). Cataract was the leading cause of blindness (58.6%); followed by posterior segment diseases (20%), which included DR (7; 3.3%). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) was 22.4%, (95% CI: 21.09 - 23.79]), among them; 27.8% had DR. The prevalence of sight-threatening DR was 5.7%.

Conclusion: The prevalence of DM and the corresponding proportion of DR in this region is lower than that reported in other regions of Saudi Arabia. However, the prevalence of blindness not related to DR is relatively higher than the other studies.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. International Diabetes Federation. IDEF Diabetes Atlas. 6th ed. 2014 update. [Updated 2014. Cited 2014 Oct 20] Geneva (CH): World Health Organization; 2014. Available from: http: //www.idf.org/sites/default/files/Atlas-poster-2014_EN.pdf .
    1. World Health Organization. Diabetes Fact Sheet No. 312 August 2011. [Updated 2013 Oct. Cited 2014 Apr 20] Geneva (CH): World Health Organization; 2011. Available from: http: //www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en .
    1. Yau JW, Rogers SL, Kawasaki R, Lamoureux EL, Kowalski JW, Bek T, et al. Global prevalence and major risk factors of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes Care. 2012;35:556–564. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Al Ghamdi AH, Rabiu M, Hajar S, Yorston D, Kuper H, Polack S. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness and diabetic retinopathy in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Br J Ophthalmol. 2012;96:1168–1172. - PubMed
    1. El-Bab MF, Shawky N, Al-Sisi A, Akhtar M. Retinopathy and risk factors in diabetic patients from Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Clin Ophthalmol. 2012;6:269–276. - PMC - PubMed