Elsevier

Ophthalmology

Volume 95, Issue 10, October 1988, Pages 1340-1348
Ophthalmology

The Incidence of Vision Loss in a Diabetic Population

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0161-6420(88)32991-XGet rights and content

Abstract

The 4-year incidence of blindness and vision loss was examined in a population-based study of diabetes mellitus. In subjects participating in baseline and 4-year follow-up examinations, the rate of blindness was 1.5, 3.2, and 2.7% in younger onset persons, older onset persons taking insulin, and older onset persons not taking insulin, respectively. The rate of blindness increased with increasing age, increasing diabetic retinopathy severity, and lower baseline visual acuity in all three groups. Blindness increased with increasing duration of diabetes in younger onset persons and older onset persons taking insulin. The incidence of vision loss, as measured by a doubling of the visual angle, was associated with older age, more severe retinopathy, and presence of macular edema in the three groups. It was also associated with duration of diabetes, presence of proteinuria, and higher glycosylated hemoglobin in younger onset and older onset persons taking insulin.

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    Presented in part at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, Sarasota, May 1988.

    Supported by grant EY03083 from the National Eye Institute (Dr. R. Klein). Glycosylated hemoglobin determinations were performed in the Core Laboratory of the Clinical Nutrition Center with support from USPHS NIH grant P30 AM AG 26659 to Dr. Earl S. Shrago.

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