Telescreening reveals high rate of eye disease in Chinese people with type 2 diabetes

A telescreening programme in Shenyanhg has shown there is a high prevalence of fundus pathology among patients with type 2 diabetes, and in most of the cases, this was newly detected.
In a study involving 528 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from Fengyutaun in Shenyang, researchers from the Department of Ophthalmology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang used telescreening to look for signs of any diabetic retinopathy, signs of glaucoma and signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The main ocular fundus pathologies were diabetic retinopathy,  (14%), of which 87% cases were newly detected, AMD was detected in 11% of patients and glaucoma in 12%. The risk factors for fundus pathology were long duration of diabetes,  higher fasting plasma glucose and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.
"Community screening for fundus pathology among patients with a long duration of type 2 diabetes and high fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c levels using a telescreening model will provide an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of fundus pathology," the study authors concluded.
Read the full study at: BMJ Open