1978 Volume 21 Issue 6 Pages 567-574
Sex differences in the incidence of diabetic retinopathy were examined in a total of 2962 diabetics.
1) The frequency of diabetic retinopathy was significantly higher in females than males among all the diabetic patients, and also in diabetic patients under the age of 39 yrs on ocular fundus examination at the first visit.
2) The incidence of diabetic retinopathy in the group with initial fasting blood sugar levels of more than 140 mg/dl was significantly higher in females than males which increased with duration of diabetics.
3) In both male and female patients, the incidence of diabetic retinopathy of grade III in Scott classification or severer increased with the duration of diabetes. However, the correlation between the frequency of diabetic retinopathy grade III (Scott) or severer and the duration of the illness was more marked in the females than males In particular, in diabetic patients under the age of 39 yrs the frequency of diabetic retinopathy grade IV or severer was significantly higher in females than in males among cases with duration less than 4 yrs.
4) The difference in rates of progression of diabetic retinopathy between the sexes was not statistically significant over 1 and 5-yrs observation periods irrespective of the control of diabetes.
Although the difference between males and femails at the first visit appears to support the previous reports, no significant differences during the follow-up period 1 and 5 yrs. might suggest that the observations at the first visit may not necessarily be sex linked.
