Retinopathy in Pima Indians: Relationships to Glucose Level, Duration of Diabetes, Age at Diagnosis of Diabetes, and Age at Examination in a Population with a High Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

The occurrence of retinopathy and its relationship to diabetes in 1,640 Pima Indians age 15 and over has been determined. Eighteen per cent of those with two-hour postload plasma glucose levels of equal to or greater than 200 mg./dl. had some evidence of retinopathy. Of those with retinopathy and diabetes, 7 per cent were found to have proliferative or neovascular changes, the remainder having microaneurysms and/or exudates. The frequency of retinopathy increased from 3 per cent among newly diagnosed diabetics to 47 per cent among those with diabetes of 10 or more years duration. No relationship was found with sex, age at diagnosis of diabetes, or age at time of examination when duration of diabetes was taken into account. The occurrence of retinopathy was confined largely to those who fell into the second or hyperglycemic component of the frequency distribution of plasma glucose levels in the population, indicating the significance of the bimodal glucose tolerance frequency distribution.

U.K. Prospective Diabetes Study 22: Effect of age at diagnosis on diabetic tissue damage during the first 6 years of NIDDM

“…However, the subsequent This, together with differences in the definition of retinopathy, could contribute to inconsistent results in the literature. Dorf et al (19) studied 1,640 Pima Indians and found the prevalence of retinopathy to increase from 3% at presentation to 47% in those with diabetes for >10 years. After adjusting for duration, there was no effect of age at diagnosis on the prevalence of retinopathy.…”

Diabetic Retinopathy, Promoter (4G/5G) Polymorphism of PAI-1 Gene, and PAI-1 Activity in Pima Indians With Type 2 Diabetes

“…In previous studies, the prevalence and risk factors for diabetic retinopathy in the Pima Indians with type 2 diabetes were generally similar to those reported in other populations. Diabetic retinopathy in Pima Indians is associated with measures of glycemia and duration of diabetes (13)(14)(15).…”

Incidence and Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy in Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites With Type 2 Diabetes. San Luis Valley Diabetes Study, Colorado

“…In the present study, the incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy were examined to learn whether Hispanics had excess risk compared with NHWs with type 2 diabetes living in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Because glucose control, hypertension, type of therapy, and diabetes duration, among other risk factors, are associated with diabetic retinopathy (1,4,(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), we also examined these and other factors to see if they accounted for altered Hispanic-to-NHW incidence rates.…”