The Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Diabetic Retinopathy in the Australian Population

Abstract

OBJECTIVE—To determine the prevalence and factors associated with diabetic retinopathy in the Australian population and to estimate the time difference between disease onset and clinical diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—The Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study (AusDiab) included 11,247 adults aged ≥25 years in 42 randomly selected areas of Australia. Retinopathy was assessed in participants identified as having diabetes (based on self-report and oral glucose tolerance test), impaired fasting glucose, and impaired glucose tolerance and in a random sample with normal glucose tolerance. Data were available for 2,177 participants. ..