Diabetic Retinopathy found in Undiagnosed and
Newly Diagnosed Diabetics
Jul 6, 2005 (reported in Ophthalmology Times E-News)
Diabetic retinopathy was found in nearly 8% of participants who were
pre-diabetic and 12% of participants with type 2 diabetes in the
Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). The results were reported in a
presentation at the American Diabetes Association's recent annual
meeting.
"These findings reinforce the recommendation that patients with
newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes should be screened for retinopathy,"
said Emily Chew, MD, of the National Eye Institute, which funded the
study. "We advise good control of blood glucose, blood pressure, and
cholesterol as well as regular eye exams."
The program followed 3,234 people with impaired glucose tolerance.
About 12% (302) of the DPP Outcome Study participants who had not
developed diabetes during the study, and 588 of 876 participants who
had developed diabetes, were selected to participate in the
retinopathy study. To detect diabetic retinopathy, an evaluation of
the fundus was performed.
Participants with pre-diabetes and retinopathy typically had a small
number of microaneurysms in the eye, characteristic of early, mild
retinopathy that is not yet linked to vision loss. Those who had
developed diabetes in the previous 1 to 5 years had slightly more
severe retinopathy, according to study outcomes. Higher average
blood glucose levels and higher blood pressure were associated with
the risk of developing retinopathy in the patients with new-onset
diabetes, similar to previous findings in people with longstanding
diabetes who develop retinopathy, the study authors said.
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