Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy and the Associated Risk Factors in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is a major cause of adult-onset blindness.^[1] Nearly 25% of all diabetics have some form of Diabetic Retinopathy. Patients that are taken into this study are patients diagnosed with type2 diabetes, but on irregular control and those undiagnosed coming for routine checkup. Aim of this study is to see whether there is any increase in the severity of Diabetic Retinopathy in type 2 Diabetes mellitus with chronic untreated risk factors and correlation with various risk factors like, age of onset,duration of diabetes, dyslipidemia, elevated HbA1c and DR. 100 patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus randomly selected were included in this study. All patients were subjected to clinical and biochemical examination. Fundus examination is a critical step in the diagnosis of DR. Visualization of retina by direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy, fluorescein angiography is valuable in type2 DM patients to rule out preexisting retinal pathology.

The mainstay in the treatment of diabetic maculopathy and proliferative retinopathy is Laser Photocoagulation with maximum benefit seen in patients treated early. Screening type2 diabetes patients with HbA1c and ophthalmic examination in chronic and irregularly controlled diabetes helps in detecting DR in the early stages and prevent further damage.