INTRODUCTIONThe aim of this study was to compare the occurrence of diabetic retinopathy in targeted screening diabetic patients (Group I) with newly diagnosed diabetic patients in general practice (Group II).

MATERIALS AND METHODSThis was an observational cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from 25,313 subjects who participated in the diabetic screening camps, and 128 newly diagnosed diabetes who presented to the diabetic retinopathy screening camps in general practice in rural and urban south India. The study variables were collected from all patients who underwent eye examination from the target screening detected diabetics [(n = 173) Group I] and those newly diagnosed in general practice [(n = 128) Group II]. The variations in prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy in Group I and Group II and the factors affecting it were identified.

RESULTSThe occurrence of diabetic retinopathy was 6.35% (95% CI, 2.5-9.5) in Group I and 11.71% (95% CI, 5.6-16.4) in Group II. No significant difference was observed on occurrence of diabetic retinopathy, including sightthreatening retinopathy, in rural versus urban population and in Group I versus Group II. Patients diagnosed in general practice (Group II) with systolic blood pressure (BP) >140 were more likely to have retinopathy (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONSDiabetic retinopathy including sightthreatening complications was found at the time of diagnosis of diabetes in the targeted screening group as well as in newly diagnosed diabetics in the general practice group.