Retinopathy and Impaired Vision in Diabetic Patients

Abstract

In order to clarify the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and impaired vision cansed by retinopathy, we studied3841consecutive diabetic patients attending 16 diabetes clinics in Fukuoka Prefecture from Dec. 1, 1981 to Jan. 31, 1982.
Diabetic retinopathy was found in29.8% of the patients, and the proliferative type manifested itself in4.6%. Cataract and cataract extracted were noted in16.2and3.0%, respectively.
Retinopathy became more prevalent with increasing duration of diabetes, and50.0% o patients had retinopathy after11to15years of diabetes. In44young dabetics under21years of age, proliferative retinopathy was not found except in one young woman whose duration was16years.
Retinopathy was not present in any of20patients of0to5years duration, but simple retinopathy was present in24% of those (5of21cases) at6to10years duration. Hypertension was more common in cases with simple retinopathy than in cases without retinopathy (24.7vs. 14.5%).
Out of the3841diabetics, impaired vision (visual acuity of20/200or less with best correction) in both eyes and blindness (total visual acuity of8/200or less in both eyes) caused by retinopathy were present in92cases (2.4%) and48cases (1.2%), respectively.
There were153patients (4.0%) with impaired vision in one or both eyes caused by retinopathy. Their mean age, time lapse until the appearance of visual impairment after diagnosis, and untreated period were55.9± 11.5, 10.5 ± 6.0, and 4.2 ± 4.9 (± S.D.) years, respectively.
It could be concluded therefore that in Japan at present, 4to5% of diabetics have diabetic proliferative retinopathy and about1% lose their sight due to retinopathy