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Multicenter Study
. 2016 Oct;100(10):1366-71.
doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2015-307689. Epub 2016 Jan 14.

Changes observed in diabetic retinopathy: eight-year follow-up of a Spanish population

Pedro Romero-Aroca  1 , Sofia de la Riva-Fernandez  1 , Aida Valls-Mateu  2 , Ramon Sagarra-Alamo  3 , Antonio Moreno-Ribas  2 , Nuria Soler  1
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Changes observed in diabetic retinopathy: eight-year follow-up of a Spanish population

Pedro Romero-Aroca et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2016 Oct.

Abstract

Background/aims: To determine the changes in the incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic macular oedema (DMO) and their risk factors in a population-based study of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) referred to our 16 Primary Health Care Areas (HCAs).

Methods: Prospective population-based study of a total of 15 396 Caucasian patients with DM, who represent 86.53% of the total patients with DM in our HCAs, were studied over an 8-year follow-up period. All patients were screened with a mean follow-up of 3.18±1.11 times for each patient over the 8 years.

Results: The yearly mean value of any DR was 8.37±2.19% (8.09%-8.99%); of advanced DR yearly mean value of 0.46±0.22% (0.03-0.78); and of DMO a yearly mean value of 2.19±0.18% (2%-2.49%). A clear increase was observed in the last 3 years, any DR increased from 8.09% in 2007 to 8.99% in 2014, and DMO from 2% in 2007 to 2.49% in 2014. These increases were more evident in some age groups. For patients with any DR aged 41-50 and 51-60 and for patients with advanced DR aged 41-50, 51-60 and 61-70, the increase was more marked, related to an increase in HbA1c values or to patients treated with insulin.

Conclusions: An increase in the incidence of DR and DMO was observed, especially in the younger patients aged between 31 and 70 years. This is linked to bad metabolic control of DM. Our results suggest a greater number of ocular complications in the near future, such as neovascular glaucoma, if these current findings are not addressed.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Macula; Public health; Retina; Telemedicine.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Incidence of diabetic retinopathy and macular oedema, from 2007 to 2014 in our Health Care Areas. DR, diabetic retinopathy; DMO, diabetic macular oedema.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in the incidence of any DR, according to 10-year age groups. Data obtained for yearly ratio: number of any DR/number of total DR. There is an evident increase in the 41–50 and 51–60 groups. DR, diabetic retinopathy.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Changes in the incidence of the advance DR, according to age group. Data obtained for yearly ratio: number of advanced DR each decade/ number of total DR. There is an evident increase in 31–40, 41–50, 51–60 and 61–70 groups. DR, diabetic retinopathy.
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