Primary Care Diabetes
Volume 1, Issue 2 , Pages 75-80, June 2007

Diagnosed diabetic retinopathy in France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom

  • A. Rubino

      Affiliations

    • RTI Health Solutions, Manchester Science Park, Manchester, UK
    • ,
  • M.D. Rousculp

      Affiliations

    • Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
    • ,
  • K. Davis

      Affiliations

    • RTI Health Solutions, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: RTI Health Solutions, P.O. Box 12194, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA. Tel.: +1 919 541 6762; fax: +1 919 485 7222.
    • ,
  • J. Wang

      Affiliations

    • RTI Health Solutions, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
    • ,
  • A. Girach

      Affiliations

    • Eli Lilly and Company Research Laboratories, Erl Wood, Windlesham, Surrey, UK

Received 8 February 2007; accepted 19 February 2007. published online 05 April 2007.

Abstract 

Aim

The objective of this study was to describe the proportion and characteristics of patients diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy (DR) in France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK).

Methods

To estimate the proportion of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes diagnosed with DR, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of general practitioners in each country using physician records. In addition, diabetes specialists were recruited in Italy and Spain. We extracted data from the medical notes of a sample of DR patients to characterize DR severity and clinical characteristics.

Results

The average number of physicians per country was 41 (range: 34–49). The proportion of diagnosed DR ranged from 10.3% (95% CI, 6.7–14.0%) in Spain to 19.6% (95% CI, 16.0–23.1%) in the UK. Of 752 DR patients studied, 53.9% were male; mean age (±SD) was 64.2±12.8 years. Consistently across countries, mild non-proliferative DR was the most common severity level of diagnosed DR. Proliferative DR (PDR) ranged from 19.7% (France) to 31.5% (UK). Diabetic macular oedema was reported in approximately 10% of patients. Hypertension (73.1%), dyslipidemia (63.2%), and neuropathy (52.1%) were the most common co-morbidities.

Conclusions

Country-specific prevalence of diagnosed DR may reflect clinical management of diabetes, healthcare systems, or record-keeping accuracy. Across countries, up to 30% of DR patients had a diagnosis of PDR, which could suggest that patients are diagnosed only when their disease is advanced.

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index, CI, confidence interval, CNOM, Conseil National de l’Ordre des Médecins, COREC, Central Office for Research Ethics Committee, DMO, diabetic macular oedema, DR, diabetic retinopathy, GP, general practitioner, IRB, institutional review board, NPDR, non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, PDR, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, SD, standard deviation, UK, United Kingdom, UKPDS, UK Prospective Diabetes Study

Keywords: Diabetes, Diabetic retinopathy, Severity, Microvascular complications

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PII: S1751-9918(07)00033-2

doi:10.1016/j.pcd.2007.02.002

Primary Care Diabetes
Volume 1, Issue 2 , Pages 75-80, June 2007

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