Abstract
Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated that patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) have a higher prevalence of risk factors known to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We hypothesized that patients with more severe DR could have a higher relative risk of CVD. Methods: To test this hypothesis, we used the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to evaluate whether associations exist between DR and CVD. The data for this nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study were obtained from the NHIRD in Taiwan from 2001 to 2013. The assessed study outcome used was the incidence and other statistical analyses of CVD in patients with DR during a 13-year follow-up period. Results: Our findings obtained from 2001 to 2013 suggest that the incidence rates of CVD are 2.026 times that of diabetes mellitus (DM) without DR (95% C.I. = 1.876–2.187) and 2.75 times that of DM with DR (95% C.I. = 2.487–3.04) compared with the Non-DM group. Conclusion: The relative risk of CVD in DR was greater than that in the Non-DM group for both men and women. Targeted monitoring of DM, especially the co-existence of diabetic retinopathy, is of utmost importance in the clinical care of the DM population.
Highlights
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a chronic eye disease in diabetic patients that impairs the patient’s vision in an imperceptible way and it is one of the major causes of vision loss.The pathogenetic mechanism of DR remains obscure
A study that encompassed 35 worldwide studies conducted in the time span from 1980 to 2008 suggests that the global prevalence rate of any DR and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in diabetic patients are 35.4% and 7.5%, respectively [1]
Given the relatively large number of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in DR in the study, after the adjustment in variables such as comorbidity, the Non-diabetes mellitus (DM) group showed a lower risk of CVD with the adjusted hazard ratios being 0.573 (95% C.I. = 0.524–0.627)
Summary
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a chronic eye disease in diabetic patients that impairs the patient’s vision in an imperceptible way and it is one of the major causes of vision loss.The pathogenetic mechanism of DR remains obscure. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a chronic eye disease in diabetic patients that impairs the patient’s vision in an imperceptible way and it is one of the major causes of vision loss. In the U.S, DR is the leading cause of vision loss in adults aged 20 to 64 years. A study that encompassed 35 worldwide studies conducted in the time span from 1980 to 2008 suggests that the global prevalence rate of any DR and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in diabetic patients are 35.4% and 7.5%, respectively [1]. The prevalence rate of DR in the U.S is high with 4.1 million Americans—that is, 1 in every 29—aged 40 years and above suffering from DR. The prevalence rate of DR is expected to grow substantially in 2020 in consideration of population aging in the U.S [2].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
