Abstract
Purpose: :
To report the 6–year incidence of diabetic retinopathy and associated risk factors in African–Americans with type 1 diabetes.
Methods: :
Four hundred and eighty three African–Americans with type 1 diabetes who participated in the New Jersey 725 were reexamined as part of a 6–year follow–up. Evaluation included a structured clinical interview, ocular examination, masked grading of seven field retinal photographs, and blood pressure measurements. Biological evaluation included blood and urine assays.
Results: :
Over the 6–year period, 56.1% of patients showed progression of retinopathy, 15% progressed to proliferative retinopathy and 16% developed macular edema. Baseline high glycosylated hemoglobin and systemic hypertension were significant risk factors for all incidences of retinopathy. Progression to proliferative retinopathy was also significantly associated with baseline older age, renal disease and retinopathy sevedrity. Incidence of macular edema was also significantly associated with baseline older age, low socioeconomic status, retinopathy severity, and total blood cholesterol.
Conclusions: :
Six–year incidence of retinopathy is high in African–Americans with type 1 diabetes. Improving glycemic and blood pressure control may reduce the ocular morbidity of diabetes in African–Americans.
Keywords: diabetic retinopathy • diabetes