A Study of the 3-year Incidence of Diabetic Retinopathy in a French Diabetic Population Seen at Lariboisière Hospital, Paris

Aim: This study evaluated the incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) over a 3-year period in a French population that was followed by OPHDIAT®, and assessed the clinical and biological risk factors associated with incident retinopathy.

Methods: The studied patients were screened for DR during hospitalization for their annual diabetes check-up in the endocrinology department by two examinations three years apart. DR screening used the OPHDIAT® telemedical network, and the examination included clinical and biological data.

Results: A total of 254 patients were studied. At the 3-year follow-up, the incidence was 14.0%, (CI: 9.5-18.4%). Longer duration of diabetes and the presence of micro- or macroalbuminuria were significantly associated with incident retinopathy (P<0.05). Other potential risk factors were not statistically significantly related to DR progression, and only treatment with insulin showed a trend towards significance (P<0.20).

Conclusion: This study provides the first French data on the incidence of DR, which was estimated after a 3-year follow-up at 14.0%. Longer duration of time from the onset of diabetes and higher baseline albuminuria were the only statistically significant risk factors found for the incidence of DR after our 3-year study. Nevertheless, microalbuminuria should be more widely used in ophthalmological practice in the assessment of DR, as is already the case for both blood pressure and HbA(1c).