The epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

The paper presents a statistic study of the incidence of the diabetic retinopathy in patients who have been recently taken into evidence in the Antidiabetic Centre Timişoara. These patients were diagnosed between 1994 and 1997. The incidence of the diabetic retinopathy in Romania is more significant than in other countries like USA, France, UK, Finland. The prevalence of the diabetic retinopathy is significant too being placed around the value of 0.02-0.03%. When diabetes mellitus was found, the incidence of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy was placed around 8% while the incidence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy was placed around 1%. The diabetic retinopathy is more often diagnosed in patients insulin dependent. After 20 years of diabetes mellitus evolution, 80% of the insulin dependent patients and 60% of the noninsulin dependent patients present diabetic retinopathy with a more or less important impact on the visual function.