Journal of Postgraduate Medicine Medknow Publications and Staff Society of Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India ISSN: 0022-3859 EISSN: 0972-2823 Vol. 55, Num. 3, 2009, pp. 232-233

Journal of Postgraduate Medicine, Vol. 55, No. 3, July-September, 2009, pp. 232-233

Letter

Primary prevention of diabetic retinopathy for the rural population

Wiwanitkit V

Wiwanitkit House, Bangkhae, Bangkok - 10160, Thailand

Correspondence Address: Dr. Viroj Wiwanitkit, Wiwanitkit House, Bangkhae, Bangkok - 10160
wviroj@yahoo.com

Code Number: jp09072

PMID: 19884757

DOI: 10.4103/0022-3859.57394

Sir,

The article by Rani et al., on risk factors for diabetic retinopathy in the rural population has focused on a very pertinent issue. ^[1] Indeed, diabetic nephropathy, a major complication of diabetes mellitus is usually inadequately managed by the primary care physicians, leading to a poor quality of life due to blindness. A self-report might be an effective tool for primary screening, if there is a systematic reporting system. The reliability of report of a case is the main focus. Tapp et al., have shown that the self-reporting system was moderately useful in prediction of diabetic retinopathy.^[2] Similar risk factors could be detected in this study. In addition to the self-reporting system, the annual primary screening by the primary healthcare center might be an additional useful preventive protocol. Additional screening by retinal photography assessment has also been shown to be useful to determine pathological changes, if any, in the retina. In fact, a combination of self-reporting system and retinal photography have been successfully implemented for screening for diabetic retinopathy in the rural settings in Mauritius, a developing country. ^[3]

References

1.	Rani PK, Raman R, Chandrakantan A, Pal SS, Perumal GM, Sharma T. Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy in self-reported rural population with diabetes. J Postgrad Med 2009;55:92-6.  Back to cited text no. 1  [PUBMED]
2.	Tapp RJ, Zimmet PZ, Harper CA, de Courten MP, McCarty DJ, Balkau B, et al. Diagnostic thresholds for diabetes: The association of retinopathy and albuminuria with glycaemia. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2006;73:315-21.  Back to cited text no. 2  [PUBMED]  [FULLTEXT]
3.	Tapp RJ, Zimmet PZ, Harper CA, McCarty DJ, Chitson P, Tonkin AM, et al. Six year incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy: Results from the Mauritius diabetes complication study. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2006;73:298-303.  Back to cited text no. 3  [PUBMED]  [FULLTEXT]

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