Department of Ophthalmology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, NorwayResearch Group of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, NorwayNIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UKDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Nephrology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Ophthalmology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, DenmarkBrain and Circulation Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.
To determine the prevalence of visual impairment, retinopathy and macular oedema, and assess risk factors for retinopathy in persons with diabetes.
The present study included 514 participants with diabetes aged 46-87 years from the Tromsø Eye Study, a sub-study of the population-based Tromsø Study in Norway. Visual acuity was measured using an auto-refractor. Retinal images from both eyes were graded for retinopathy and macular oedema. We collected data on risk factor exposure from self-report questionnaires, clinical examinations, laboratory measurements and case note reviews. Regression models assessed the cross-sectional relationship between potential risk factors and diabetic retinopathy.
The prevalence of visual impairment (corrected Snellen visual acuity