Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy May Exceed 90 Million People

Based on data from nearly 23,000 people with diabetes, the age-standardized prevalence of any diabetic retinopathy was 34.6%, which translates into an estimated 92.6 million adults worldwide. The prevalence of PDR was 6.96% (about 17.2 million adults), and the prevalence of DME was 6.81% (about 20.6 million adults). According to the researchers, nearly 30 million adults have sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (PDR and/or DME). They concluded that diabetic retinopathy is not a disease that should only be handled by eye care workers, but by the broader health care community: “We need involvement of all physicians and allied health people to tackle the biggest potential cause of blindness this century.” Diabetes Care, Feb. 2012