Prevalence of Retinopathy in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at the Diabetes Center of 5th Azar Hospital in Gorgan

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most important complications of type 1 and 2 diabetes, which is the most important cause of blindness in people aged 20 to 74. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of retinopathy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus at the Diabetes Center of 5th Azar Hospital in Gorgan.

A total of 260 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in the Diabetes Center of 5th Azar Hospital were included in this cross-sectional descriptive study. Demographic information, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were collected from the patients' files.The results of ophthalmic examinations of the patients, including examination of the fundus, corneal sensation and eye pressure were also recorded and collected. Data analysis was carried out in SPSS16 software using the independent t-tests, Chi-square test, and analysis of variance at significance level of 0.05.

The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 34.23% (89 people), of which 68.5% (61 people) had mild non-proliferative retinopathy. Age (P=0.044), HbA1c (P=0.014), and FBS (P=0.032) had a statistically significant association with diabetic retinopathy. Also, the increase in eye pressure was significantly higher in patients with diabetic retinopathy than in those without diabetic retinopathy (P=0.001).

Considering the high prevalence of retinopathy among type 2 diabetic patients, the examination and follow-up of diabetic patients can be an effective factor in reducing diabetic retinopathy.