El. Harris et al., Black-white differences in risk of developing retinopathy among individuals with type 2 diabetes, DIABET CARE, 22(5), 1999, pp. 779-783
OBJECTIVE - To assess racial differences in risk of developing retinopathy
among individuals with type 2 diabetes, after taking into account differenc
es in the distribution of risk factors for retinopathy.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - The participants were 105 individuals with ty
pe 2 diabetes, aged 40-69 years, who had no evidence of retinopathy at the
time of a diabetic eye disease screening project. After an average of 4 yea
rs of follow-up, the subjects were reevaluated using nonmydriatic fundus ph
otography.
RESULTS - Retinopathy occurred more often among black than white participan
ts (50 vs. 19%). This difference could not be explained by differences in r
isk factors for retinopathy or potential confounders (odds ratio [95% CI] 2
.96 [1.00-8.78] after adjustment for level of glycosylated hemoglobin, syst
olic blood pressure, type of diabetes treatment, and sex).
CONCLUSIONS - These results are consistent with the concept that racial dif
ferences in risk of developing retinopathy exist among individuals with typ
e 2 diabetes and that these differences may be caused by differential (gene
tic) susceptibility to the adverse effects of increased levels of blood glu
cose and/or blood pressure. Discovery of the etiology of this differential
susceptibility would allow us to identify and target secondary prevention e
fforts to individuals with type 2 diabetes who are at increased risk of ret
inopathy.