Visual acuity in an Iranian cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes: the role of nephropathy and ischemic heart disease

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors of low vision in type 2 diabetic patients and the prevalence of ischemic heart diseases and nephropathy for different visual acuities. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data from 738 type 2 diabetic patients including evidences for nephropathy and ischemic heart disease, demographic characteristics, blood pressure and body mass index were collected, and then patients were divided into 3 groups based on their best corrected visual acuity in the better-seeing eye. Analysis of variance was used to compare basic characteristics according to different levels of visual acuity. RESULTS: The prevalence of blindness and low vision was 5.5% and 13.3% respectively, and as age, duration of diabetes, systolic blood pressure and body mass index increased, the visual acuity decreased. The prevalence of hypertension and obesity in patients with visual disabilities was significantly higher than in patients with not impaired visions (p = 0.008 and p = 0.02, respectively). We also found that with greater decline in visual acuity, the prevalence of nephropathy and ischemic heart diseases increased. CONCLUSIONS: The factors related to retinopathy play a role in affecting the degree of visual impairment in diabetic patients. Therefore, controlling risk factors can be useful in decreasing impairment of vision and blindness.