Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction

One of the major complications of diabetes that can lead to blindness is diabetic retinopathy. The objective of our work is to determine the prevalence of this complication in a type 2 diabetic population as well as its various risk factors.

Methods:

This is a retrospective study including 100 type 2 diabetic patients followed up in the ’C’ department of nutrition and diabetology at the National Institute of Nutrition in Tunis.

Results

The average age was 56.8 years old. A female predominance was noted in two-thirds of cases (66%). The mean duration of diabetes was 11.28 years. The mean HbA1c was 10.69 ± 2.51%. The average BMI was 29.8 ± 5.59 kg/m². Diabetic retinopathy was present in 46% of patients. The frequency of this complication was significantly correlated with the age (P = 0.022) and the duration of progression of diabetes (P = 0.005). Diabetic retinopathy was linked to higher HbA1c and BMI levels but this was not significant. It was more frequent in hypertensive patients (P = 0.07) who represented more than half of the population. The mean systolic blood pressure was higher in the presence of diabetic retinopathy but this was not significant. This complication was more frequently noted in dyslipidemia (N = 82) without this being significant. The triglyceride level was higher in patients with diabetic retinopathy (2.04 ± 1.11 g/l vs 1.78 ± 0.76 g/l). The latter also had a significantly higher LDL cholesterol level (P = 0.01). Active smoking was reported by 20% of the population with no statistical relation to the occurrence of retinopathy.

Conclusion

Diabetic retinopathy was a frequent complication in our population. As risk factors, we noted the age, duration of progression of diabetes, poor glycemic control, presence of overweight, hypertension and dyslipidemia. As one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide, screening for risk factors for diabetic retinopathy and their control is imperative.