DIABETIC RETINOPATHY;

Abstract

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common complications ofdiabetes affecting more than 1/4th of the diabetics and is also the leading cause of blindness inmany parts of the globe. Regular fundoscopic examination for screening is a routine practicein tertiary care hospitals but is not available in the primary care centers. This necessitatesthe development of a reliable screening tool which will allow for early referral of those withcomplications to the specialist centers. Objective: To determine the predictive value of HbA1clevels for the presence of diabetic retinopathy. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting:Diabetic Clinic of Mayo Hospital, Lahore. Period: 04 months, January to April 2017. Method:75 diabetic patients who presented in Diabetic clinic were investigated for HbA1c levels andfundoscopic evaluation was done to detect retinal changes. Results: Out of 75 patients, 35(46.7%) were female, 40 (53.3%) were male. Median age of the patients was 51 years. All patientshad HbA1c levels more than 6.0% and 62% patients had detectable changes on fundi while therest had no detectable retinal disease despite elevated HbA1c levels. Positive predictive value(PPV) of elevated HbA1c levels for the presence of diabetic retinal changes was calculated tobe 62.66%. Conclusion: All the patients who had retinal disease on fundoscopy had HbA1clevels of more than 6.0% (PPV = 62.66) which means that elevated HbA1c levels warrant afundoscopic retinal examination to rule out diabetic retinopathy.