Incidence of Blindness in Relation to Diabetes: A population-based study

Abstract

Great relative and attributable risks, especially in younger age-groups, indicate the need for increased attention to preventive measures for microvascular complications.

Incidence of blindness in southern Germany between 1990 and 1998

“…The exact date of registration as blind was not important [3]. In our present study, however, delayed registrations of blindness could lead to bias by giving the impression of a trend towards decreasing incidence rates.…”

“…A detailed description of the data base and the methods used, as well as an in-depth analysis of incidence rates, relative risks and attributable risks and the life-span of subjects registered as blind between 1990 and 1993 has been previously published [3,7]. An expert and written medical and ophthalmological judgement was the basis for a decision.…”

“…The number of subjects with diabetes in each stratum was estimated by multiplying the population of the study area in the stratum by the age and sex-specific prevalence of diabetes in East Berlin obtained from the former East German diabetes registry which is the only age-specific and reliable data available on the prevalence of diabetes for the German population [3].…”

“…A few years ago, we published baseline data on the incidence rates of blindness in a large district of southern Germany between 1990 and 1993, based on a nearly complete register of blindness allowance recipients [3]. We continued to collect data until 1998.…”

Screening and prevention of diabetic blindness

“…As a result, 5,000 Americans/ year develop legal blindness secondary to diabetic retinopathy (Aiello et al 1998). A crude incidence of 1.8 new blind/ 100,000 population each year in the United States is comparable to that of other countries in the industrialized world, as the latest figures published in Western Europe show new blindness due to diabetic retinopathy at 1.55/100,000 population/year in 1987-91 in Northern Italy ) and 1.6/100,000 population/year in 1990-93 in Germany (Wurttemberg-Hohenzollern) (Trautner et al 1997). In spite of efforts to curb it, there are reports of increasing incidence of diabetes-related blindness in Europe, with 2.01/100,000 in 1994 in Wurttemberg-Hohenzollern (Krumpaszky et al 1999) and in Italy (Porta, unpublished data).…”