Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Jimma University Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy accounts for 5% of global blindness and the incidence of diabetic blindness is increasing. Although the epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy has been well described in Western populations, there remains a paucity of prevalence data in many developing countries such as Ethiopia.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence, pattern and associated risk factors of diabetic retinopathy.
METHODS: A cross sectional hospital based study was done on a total of sampled 324 diabetic patients attending medical diabetic clinic at Jimma University Hospital from February to March 2009. Eye examination for diabetic retinopathy was carried out using slit lamp biomicroscope and 90D Volk lens, and clinical grading of diabetic retinopathy was done using the Diabetic Retinopathy Study and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study guidelines.
RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 41.4%. Of these, 2.2% of the cases had severe non-Proliferative diabetic retinopathy while about 6% of patients had clinically significant macular edema. Vision threatening diabetic retinopathy was found in 7.3% of patients. Only 14.5% of the patients had prior eye check. The mean duration of diabetes mellitus, mean fasting blood sugar, mean systolic blood pressure, and mean diastolic blood pressure were 6.26 years, 158.8 mg/dl, 124.6 mmHg and 77.65 mmHg respectively. There was a statistically significant association between diabetic retinopathy and duration of diabetes, fasting blood sugar, and systemic blood pressure (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was high, and only a small proportion of the study subjects had diabetic eye check up. There is a need for integration of the Medical Diabetic Clinic and Eye Clinic for preventive diabetic care, better referral system and coordinated diabetic screening program in the study setting.