Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in patients attending eye camps in Punjab

Introduction: Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and continues to be the primary reason for preventable blindness. The appearance of retinopathy is directly related to the time of evolution of the disease. Among individuals who have diabetes, around 34.6% will develop any form of DR and 10.2% will develop sight threatening DR. Since the treatment for DR is effective for the preservation of sight but its ability to reverse visual loss is poor, therefore its early diagnosis is important. Even though nearly 4.5% of blindness in India is due to sight threatening DR, the data available is insufficient. In view of the limited data regarding the prevalence of DR in Punjab, we undertook this study. Aims and Objectives: 1. To determine the prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy in patients diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus attending eye camps in Punjab. 2. To grade the stages of Diabetic Retinopathy in the study population. Methods: This study included 500 patients diagnosed with DM. The study parameters that were evaluated included visual acuity, anterior segment examination and fundus examination using non-mydriatic fundus camera. Results: The mean age of participants was 55.44 ± 11.06 years. Of the 500 patients, DR was present in 88 patients (17.6%), with mild Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR) in 47 patients (9.4%), moderate NPDR in 28 patients (5.6%), severe NPDR in 6 patients (1.2%), and Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR) in 7 patients (1.4%). DR was more common in males; it’s prevalence increased with age (highest in 60-69 years: 23%), and with the duration of diabetes (6.8% in new cases to 36.7% after 11-15 years). Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) and Sight-threatening DR was seen in 1% and 2.8% of the patients, respectively. Conclusion: Regular screening is vital, as age and duration of diabetes are major risk factors for diabetic retinopathy. Early detection and intervention can prevent vision-threatening stages, highlighting the need for larger population-based studies.