Frequency of Ophthalmic Complications on 140 Cases of Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Babol, Iran

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has several ophthalmic complications and retinopathy is the most common of them. The aim of this study was to determine frequency of ophthalmic complications in diabetes mellitus. This descriptive study was performed on 140 type II diabetic patients in Shahid Beheshti Hospital during 2007-2008. All patients were assessed by questionnaire for age, gender, duration of disease, fasting blood sugar (FBS), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), method of diabetic control, and examined by observation, slit lamp, and tonometer for detection of cataract, glaucoma, ophthalmic neuropathy. Retina observed by indirect ophthalmoscop, and lens +90 for detection of retinopathy and maculapathy. Data were recorded and analyzed. Fourty five (32.1%) males, 95(67.9) females with the mean age 53.49 9.72 years were evaluated. Mean duration of disease was 8.88 6.06 year and 71.1% of them had HbA1c over 7%, 6 (4.3%) had ophthalmic neuropathy, 1 case ptosis and 1 case with rubeosis were noticed. Retinopathy was seen in 51 (36.42%) patients which most of them were non proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) (29.2%). Maculopathy was seen in 35 (25%), patients with clinical significant macular edema (CSME) to be the most (23.6%). There was a significant difference in FBS levels between diabetic retinopathy and no diabetic retinopathy groups (P=0.042). The difference was also significant when HbA1c levels were compared between the two groups (P=0.003). The results show that higher FBS and HbA1c > 7% levels are associated with ocular retinopathy.