Diabetic Retinopathy: Risk Factors Awareness and Presentation

Objective: To determine the level of awareness in diabetics regarding risk factors for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and to determine the patterns of presentation to ophthalmologist. Study design: Descriptive cross sectional study. Place and duration of study: This study was performed at department of ophthalmology, Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar and in a private setup in Saeed Anwar Medical Center, Dabgari Gardens, Peshawar from 1st March 2014 to 28th February 2015. Methodology: Diabetics who presented for the first time to ophthalmologist were included in the study. Patients were inquired regarding their knowledge about diabetic retinopathy and its risk factors. It was recorded how and why they presented to ophthalmologist. Results: A total of 180 diabetics were included in the study with a mean age of 49.80 + 11.81 years. About 80% of the patients were unaware about the risk factors of diabetic retinopathy. In our study 30 % of the patients presented with features related to diabetes. However 34.4% presented with features not related to diabetes. Only 6.10% of the patients were aware that proper ophthalmological examination is needed for diabetic patients.