Prevalence and influence of diabetic retinopathy in populations at the age of ≥ 40 years in Luzhou City, Sichuan Province in 2011

Abstract

To estimate the prevalence rate and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy(DR) in residents at the age of ≥ 40 years in Luzhou, Sichuan Province. A multistage, stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 7 communities of 8002 permanent residents ( ≥ 40 years old) for diabetes screened from May to December 2011 in Luzhou, Sichuan Province.Reference to the diagnostic criteria for diabetes recommended by World Health Organization in 1999, to the 1374 diabetes screening out patients with questionnaire, physical examination, fasting plasma glucose, 2-hours postprandial plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin(HbAlc) and visual acuity, ocular diseases, fundus examination, etc.Some patients with fundus fluorescein angiography to the DR diagnosis, diagnostic criteria with reference to the diagnosis standard made by Chinese Ocular Fundus Diseases Society, Chinese Ophthalmological Society, Chinese Medical Association in 1984. Rates between the groups were compared using χ(2) test, trend χ(2) test or Fisher exact test, using multivariate analysis of risk factors associated with DR screening. A total of 8002 people were chosen and invited to take part in the project, 7478 persons completed the study, the overall response rate was 93.48%.One thousand three hundreds and seventy-four persons were diagnosed as diabetic patients, which took the proportion of 18.37% of the selected population, while 214 DR patients were found with the DR prevalence of 15.57%, occupying 2.86% of the total.Of 214 patients, 194 cases were non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, making up 90.65% of DR patients, while 7 cases were found to be proliferative diabetic retinopathy, constitute 9.35% of DR patients. Multi-factor analysis manifest that there were close relationship between diabetic duration (trend χ(2) = 189.21, P < 0.01) , the level of HbAlc (χ(2) = 30.021, P < 0.01) , coronary heart disease (χ(2) = 4.075, P = 0.044) and DR prevalence. The prevalence of DR is high in the diabetic residents in Luzhou, Sichuan Province. Diabetic duration, the level of HbAlc and coronary heart disease are the significant factors to influence DR development. These results indicate that the changes of the level of HbAlc are closely related to the genesis and development of DR among the diabetic patients.