Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in diabetes mellitus patients attending a tertiary eye clinic in Uyo south- south Nigeria

Abstract

Diabetes retinopathy is the most serious eye complication of diabetes mellitus. Ocular complications from diabetes mellitus could result from microangiopathy and changes in the lens largely from poor gylcaemic control. Ocular complications also depend on duration of diabetes and presence or absence of other co-morbid conditions like hypertension. Since onset of diabetic retinopathy is without symptoms and may even occur several years prior to first diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, there is the need for improved level of awareness in the community about this potentially blinding condition. This can only occur from the background of knowledge, hence this study.
Interviewer administered questionnaire was administered to 218 consenting diabetic patients who were previously diagnosed or diagnosed in the eye clinic between January 2009 and December 2010. Ocular examination was carried out by the investigator. Result so obtained was analysed using SPSS17.0 statistical package. Result obtained presented as simple frequency tables of the 218 diabetic patients examined 115 (52.7%) had diabetic retinopathy and commonest wasnon-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (63.3%)while proliferative diabetic retinopathy accounted for only1.7% and 2.6% had DR coexisting with other retinopathies.