High incidence of retinopathy in neuropathy proven diabetic patients: A cohort study

Background: Diabetes and diabetic complications are becoming major “health problems” in India. Diabetes affects all tissues, causing neuropathy, vasculopathy, myopathy, etc. Retina is both vascular and sensory neural tissue, and perhaps the damage is also two-fold. Aims and Objectives: To study incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a cohort of diabetic patients with nerve conduction velocity (NCV) proven neuropathy. Materials and Methods: a total of 50 diabetic patients aged more than 30 years, with NCV — proven diabetic neuropathy were selected for the study from a Tertiary Care Hospital in semi-rural Maharashtra. Fundoscopy after midriasis and fluorescein angiography, where indicated were performed in all patients. Data were tabulated and analyzed by multivariate analysis and then subjected to regression analysis and anova. Results: Of cohort of 50, 38 patients had retinopathy (76%), mean age of patients with retinopathy was 55.3, a male preponderance was seen 72.7%. Conclusions: higher incidence of retinopathy was seen in diabetic patients with neuropathy more so in patients with sensory neuropathy. Thus making us reflect on the possibility: of DR also being a neuropathy, to begin with and whether neuroprotective agents will have a role in preventing and postponing DR.