Retinopathy in patients with hypertension and/or diabetes in a family health unit

Abstract

Purpose: To identify the prevalence of abnormal ophthalmoscopy in patients with systemic hypertension (SH) and / or diabetes mellitus (DM) in a Family Health Unit (FHU). Method: was performed a individual study, observational, primarily descriptive and crosssectional of a sample of a cohort of 50 patients with hypertension and / or diabetic enrolled in the program HIPERDIA in a FHU of the city of Ananindeua - Para, between the months of september and november 2009. Results: ophthalmoscopy was performed in 46 patients and 27 (58.7%) had some alteration. When performing a specific analysis (excluding the findings of arteriolar narrowing and venous engorgement) were changes in 18 (39.1%), 45.5% with DM and SH, 40% with DM and 36% with SH. Conclusion: The high prevalence of the changes in ophthalmoscopy found in this study demonstrates that effectiveness as a screening method in the context of primary health care, justifying that use. corroborates also the importance of primary care in the prevention of diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy, through periodic control of patients at high vascular risk as the population studied.