Diabetic retinopathy and dyslipidemia among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Jazan endocrine and diabetes center: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a well-known complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that requires early diagnosis and treatment. The major risk factors for DR include older age, dyslipidemia, obesity, and higher levels of glycated hemoglobin. This study aimed to assess the type and severity of DR in type 2 patients and its correlation with dyslipidemia in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

This case-control study was conducted at the Jazan endocrine and diabetes center. The study included type 2 diabetic patients without DR as controls and type 2 diabetic patients with DR as cases. Version 26 of SPSS was used to analyze the data, and multivariate analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for DR.

RESULTS

The study included 210 patients as controls and 100 patients as cases; mild nonproliferative DR was the most common degree (52%), and 5% had maculopathy. The comparison between the two groups revealed that there was no significant difference regarding experiencing dyslipidemia ( = 0.4). On the other hand, a significantly higher proportion of patients in the case group received aspirin and statin (P < 0.001). The risk factors for developing DR included age (AOR =1.05, P < 0.001), insulin and oral hypoglycemics (AOR =4.61, P < 0.001), and statin (AOR =4.19, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Mild nonproliferative DR was the most dominant DR among Saudi T2DM patients. Neither dyslipidemia nor serum lipid was associated with developing DR. However, the administration of statin, older age, and a combination of insulin and oral hyperglycemics were significant risk factors for DR among T2DM patients.