Aim: Current guidelines recommend screening for retinopathy from 11 years in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and 2-5 years T1D duration. We examined the longitudinal progression and regression of retinopathy in adolescents seen at our Diabetes Complications assessment service (DCAS) clinic.
Methods: We analyzed digitized retinal photographs taken from 2000-2018 (n=814) in youth with >3 assessments. Retinopathy was graded using the modified Airlie house classification. Generalized estimating equations were used to explore the association between progression/regression and covariates (HbA1c, gender, and diabetes duration).
Results: Mean age at baseline was 13.3+2.6 years, mean T1D duration 6.1+>3.4 years and mean follow- up 7.4 years. Retinopathy was present in 18.7% (n=152) at baseline assessment; with progression in 32.6% (n=266), regression in 7% (n=57) and persistence in 60.3% (n=491). Of those with progression, 185/266 (22.7%) had one step and 81 (9.9%) had > 2 step progression. Factors associated with retinopathy progression were HbA1c and T1D duration and for regression T1D duration (Table 1). Neither height nor SBP was significant for other outcomes.
V. Velayutham: None. G. Liew: None. A.S. Januszewski: None. Y. Cho: None. P.Z. Benitez-Aguirre: None. M.E. Craig: None. A. Jenkins: Advisory Panel; Self; Abbott, Australian Diabetes Society, Medtronic. Research Support; Self; Abbott, GlySens Incorporated, Medtronic, Mylan. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk Inc. K.C. Donaghue: None.
