Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy Following a Community Screening for Diabetes

Diabetic retinopathy is a public health challenge in developing countries including Nepal and is not like other preventable or treatable causes of blindness. The aim of study was to estimate the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy following a community screening for diabetes. A community-based, cross sectional study was designed to screen for diabetes in people age > or =40 years in a semi-urban community of Kathmandu, Nepal. In those individuals with detected diabetes, a comprehensive eye examination was performed by an ophthalmologist and diabetic retinopathy was graded using a standard protocol. 1475 persons were screened for diabetes with a mean age of 54.7 +/- 12 years with sex ratio of 0.69 male per female. Thirty-four subjects were found to have impaired fasting glucose and sixty subjects had diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 4.1% (60) but 6.4% (94) had an abnormal blood sugar level. Fifty-seven diabetic patients visited at-Tilganga Eye Centre for ocular examination. Among examined patients, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 19.3% (11). Only one person had clinically significant macular edema requiring laser therapy. The prevalence of hypertension and cataracts were the same among patients with and without diabetic retinopathy. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was low but one of sixteen newly diagnosed diabetics did have evidence of diabetic retinopathy. Eighty-four percent of known diabetics had never had their eyes examined for ocular complications. Community awareness and physician coordination should be emphasized to increase the eye examination rate.