The prevalence of glaucoma and ocular hypertension in type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus. An epidemiological study of diabetes mellitus on the island of Falster, Denmark.

The prevalence of glaucoma and ocular hypertension was investigated in an epidemiological study of diabetics traced by registration of prescriptions on insulin and oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHA) on the island of Falster (inhabitants 44 498), Denmark. Among 533 diabetics (227 insulin- and 306 OHA-treated) the prevalence rate of primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension was 6.0% and 3.0%, respectively. Neovascular glaucoma occurred in 2.1% of all diabetics and in 21.3% of diabetics with proliferative retinopathy. Open angle glaucoma was more prevalent (P less than 0.01) in type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with type 1 diabetes mellitus. No difference in the prevalence of neovascular glaucoma was found between type 1 and type 2 diabetics. The occurrence of open angle glaucoma correlated positively (P less than 0.01) to the current age (greater than 65 years) in both groups and the diabetes onset age (greater than 40 years) in insulin-treated diabetics. Neovascular glaucoma correlated positively (P less than 0.05) with diabetic macrovascular complications in total (myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension, cerebrovascular stroke, gangrene/amputation), neuropathy and severe microvascular complications (proliferative retinopathy, retinovascular occlusion). Diabetics with open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension showed a higher frequency (P less than 0.05) of ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension and retinovascular occlusion compared with diabetics without glaucoma or ocular hypertension.