Impact of Risk Factors on Diabetic Retinopathy Among A sample of Patients with type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common long-term complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and the most common cause of vision loss in the adult population. Diabetic retinopathy affects one in every three DM and so requires extensive research for both prevention and therapy. People at risk of vision loss are predicted to double by the year 2030, along with the increasing rate of the diabetes epidemic. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of risk factors that could be associated with DR among type2 D.M patients in Iraq. The risk factors include age, gender, duration of D.M., Body Mass Index and laboratory investigations [Fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, lipid profile. Methods: A case control study was done with 120 participants from ophthalmic clinics divided into three groups 40 control (healthy without disease),40 patients with type 2D.M without D.R and 40 patients with type 2D.M with D.R.  Results: Age, duration ,high body mass index , high F.B.S, high HbA1C, High cholesterol and triglycerides, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol and low high density lipoprotein cholesterol were highly significant associated with DR (P =0.0001, 0.0001, 0.0001, 0.0001,0.0001,0.023,0.0001,0.0001, 0.0001) respectively while gender and low density lipoprotein cholesterol was not significant (0.061, 0.213.Controlling these risk factors might help in preventing D.R.