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REFRACTIVE ERRORS IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and pattern of refractive errors among African type 2
diabetes mellitus patients and establish the relationship between baseline refractive status and
degree of glycaemic control.
Design: A hospital based cross sectional study.
Setting: Diabetic medical and eye clinics at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
Subjects: Ninety six type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
Results: Ninety six patients aged 28 to 76 years were examined. The male to female ratio was 1:1.5
and about half of the patients (52.1%) had good glycaemic control. The prevalence of myopia
was 39.5% and that of hypermetropia was 19.0%. Twenty two percent of the study patients had
mild diabetic retinopathy (DR). Of the eyes with DR, 20% (15/75) were myopic, 19.4% (7/36) were
hypermetropic and 26.6% (21/79) were emmetropic. There was no statistically significant correlation
between baseline refractive status with DR (p = 0.358), or HBA1C (glycosylated haemoglobin)
(rho = 0.130, p-value = 0.249 among myopes) or FBS (fasting blood sugar) (rho =0.089, p-value =
0.438 among myopes and rho = 0.158, p-value = 0.350 among hyperopes). However, there was a
statistically significant correlation between baseline hypermetropic refractive status and HBA1C
(rho = 0.401, p-value = 0.014).
Conclusions: Refractive errors were seen in 58.5% of the patients with myopia being the most
common type (39.5%) followed by hypermetropia 19.0%. There was no statistically significant
relationship between baseline refractive status and indicators of glycaemic control except for
hypermetropic refractive status and HBA1C. According to the results of this study, it is not
mandatory to ask for HBA1C or FBS results before issuing spectacle prescription to adult patients
with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are already on treatment. However, there is need to emphasise
the need for good glycaemic control to minimise the other ocular complications. A similar study
should be done on young people with type I diabetes mellitus.
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and pattern of refractive errors among African type 2
diabetes mellitus patients and establish the relationship between baseline refractive status and
degree of glycaemic control.
Design: A hospital based cross sectional study.
Setting: Diabetic medical and eye clinics at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
Subjects: Ninety six type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
Results: Ninety six patients aged 28 to 76 years were examined. The male to female ratio was 1:1.5
and about half of the patients (52.1%) had good glycaemic control. The prevalence of myopia
was 39.5% and that of hypermetropia was 19.0%. Twenty two percent of the study patients had
mild diabetic retinopathy (DR). Of the eyes with DR, 20% (15/75) were myopic, 19.4% (7/36) were
hypermetropic and 26.6% (21/79) were emmetropic. There was no statistically significant correlation
between baseline refractive status with DR (p = 0.358), or HBA1C (glycosylated haemoglobin)
(rho = 0.130, p-value = 0.249 among myopes) or FBS (fasting blood sugar) (rho =0.089, p-value =
0.438 among myopes and rho = 0.158, p-value = 0.350 among hyperopes). However, there was a
statistically significant correlation between baseline hypermetropic refractive status and HBA1C
(rho = 0.401, p-value = 0.014).
Conclusions: Refractive errors were seen in 58.5% of the patients with myopia being the most
common type (39.5%) followed by hypermetropia 19.0%. There was no statistically significant
relationship between baseline refractive status and indicators of glycaemic control except for
hypermetropic refractive status and HBA1C. According to the results of this study, it is not
mandatory to ask for HBA1C or FBS results before issuing spectacle prescription to adult patients
with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are already on treatment. However, there is need to emphasise
the need for good glycaemic control to minimise the other ocular complications. A similar study
should be done on young people with type I diabetes mellitus.
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