Assessing Framingham cardiovascular risk scores in subjects with diabetes and their correlation with diabetic retinopathy

Aim: To study the Framingham cardiovascular risk assessment scores in subjects with diabetes and their association with diabetic retinopathy in subjects with diabetes. Materials and Methods: In this population-based prospective study, subjects with diabetes were recruited (n=1248; age >= 40 years). The Framingham cardiovascular risk scores were calculated for 1248 subjects with type 2 diabetes. The scores were classified as high risk (>10%), and low risk (<10%). Results: Out of the 1248 subjects, 830 (66.5%) patients had a low risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 10 years and 418 (33.5%) had a high risk of developing CVD in 10 years. The risk of developing CVD was more in males than females (56.8% vs. 7%) The prevalence of both diabetic retinopathy and sight-threatening retinopathy was more in the high-risk group (21% and 4.5%, respectively). The risk factors for developing diabetic retinopathy were similar in both the groups (low vs. high) - duration of diabetes (OR 1.14 vs. 1.08), higher HbA1c (OR 1.24 vs. 1.22), presence of macro- and microalbuminuria (OR 10.17 vs. 6.12 for macro-albuminuria) and use of insulin (OR 2.06 vs. 4.38). The additional risk factors in the high-risk group were presence of anemia (OR 2.65) and higher serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (OR 1.05). Conclusion: Framingham risk scoring, a global risk assessment tool to predict the 10-year risk of developing CVD, can also predict the occurrence and type of diabetic retinopathy. Those patients with high CVD scores should be followed up more frequently and treated adequately. This also warrants good interaction between the treating physician/cardiologist and the ophthalmologist.