DR prevalence higher in Latinos than whites: study

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy is higher in Latinos than in whites, a population based study suggests.

In a study of 5,919 Latinos in Los Angeles, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) was found to be higher than DR prevalences reported in previous studies focusing on whites, said M. Torres, MD. She presented results from the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study here at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.

The purpose of the survey was to determine the age, gender and other characteristics of Latinos with DR. Of the study population, 23.8% had been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. The researchers made a definite diagnosis in 21% of participants; of these, 26.6% were newly diagnosed; 2.8% of cases were questionable for the disease.

Half of the group with diabetes mellitus had DR, Dr. Torres said. The rate of DR increased with age and duration of the diabetes mellitus. Moderate DR was the most common level of disease (21.8%) in the study group; 17% of the participants had a family history of diabetes mellitus.

Results of the survey were compared to other major DR studies in predominantly white populations, Dr. Torres said.

Because Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S., special screening treatments for DR should be considered for this population, she said.

To better refine the results of the study, Dr. Torres said a pooled analysis of DR studies would be a useful extension to the findings.