Mexican Americans (MAs) have a threefold greater prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) than non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs). Because MA diabetic subjects have greater hyperglycemia and an earlier age of onset than NHW diabetic subjects, we postulated that diabetic MAs might also have more severe diabetic retinopathy. Stereoscopic retinal photographs of the seven standard fields of each eye were taken in 257 MAs and 56 NHWs with NIDDM. The photographs were read by the University of Wisconsin Fundus Photographic Reading Center and graded with standardized criteria. The MAs had a nonsignificantly increased risk of retinopathy relative to the NHWs [odds ratio (OR) = 1.71; 95% confidence interval (CI) = (0.93, 3.17)]. The risk of severe retinopathy (proliferative or preproliferative) relative to background or no retinopathy was significantly greater in MAs than in NHWs [OR = 2.37; 95% CI = (1.04, 5.39)]. After control by logistic regression for duration of disease, severity of hyperglycemia, age, and systolic blood pressure, MAs still had an increased risk of severe retinopathy relative to NHWs [OR = 3.18; 95% CI = (1.32, 7.66)]. Severe retinopathy was related to duration of disease, hyperglycemia, and insulin therapy in both ethnic groups. Previously diagnosed MA diabetic subjects also had an increased prevalence of any retinopathy [OR = 2.39; 95% CI = (1.63, 3.50)] and severe retinopathy [OR = 3.21 ; 95% CI = (2.24, 4.59)] relative to previously diagnosed White diabetic subjects (n = 896) from Wisconsin. The combination of an increased prevalence of NIDDM in MAs plus an increased severity of retinopathy in those MAs who have diabetes suggests that a major public health effort should be made to screen this ethnic group for retinopathy.
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Original Articles|
July 01 1988
Diabetic Retinopathy in Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites
Steven M Haffner;
Steven M Haffner
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
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Donald Fong;
Donald Fong
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
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Michael P Stern;
Michael P Stern
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
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Jacqueline A Pugh;
Jacqueline A Pugh
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
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Helen P Hazuda;
Helen P Hazuda
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
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Judith K Patterson;
Judith K Patterson
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
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W A J Van Heuven;
W A J Van Heuven
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
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Ronald Klein
Ronald Klein
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Steven M. Haffner, MD, MPH, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78284.
Diabetes 1988;37(7):878–884
Article history
Received:
August 10 1987
Revision Received:
December 23 1987
Accepted:
December 23 1987
Citation
Steven M Haffner, Donald Fong, Michael P Stern, Jacqueline A Pugh, Helen P Hazuda, Judith K Patterson, W A J Van Heuven, Ronald Klein; Diabetic Retinopathy in Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites. Diabetes 1 July 1988; 37 (7): 878–884. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.37.7.878
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