The Association of Elevated Serum Lipids with Occurrence and Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy in Type II Diabetics Presenting in a Tertiary Care Hospital

A descriptive, cross-sectional study, was conducted in the Department of Internal Medicine and Ophthalmology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan, from May to November 2018. The aim was ot ascertain the frequency of elevated serum lipids and diabetic retinopathy; and compare the serum lipid levels with severity of diabetic retinopathy among Type II diabetic patients. A total of 262 patients having Type II diabetes aged 35 to 65 years were included. Patients were characterised into three groups of desirable, borderline, and high-risk, based on the serum lipid profile. Direct fundoscopy/slit lamp examination was steered, and they were graded according to the severity of diabetic retinopathy. There were 42.7% and 57.3% men and women, respectively, with mean age of 52.21 years. Among the patients, 17.2% had mild, 38.9% had non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and 16.4% had severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Only, 21.8% patients had normal lipid level and 27.5% had severe dyslipidemia. Gender did not have association with the advancement of diabetic retinopathy. However, age and hyperlipidemia showed significant association with the development and severity of diabetic retinopathy. Several risk factors play a vital role in the development, morbidity, and progression of diabetic eye disease. Age and dyslipidemia are signifi-cant factors in the severe disease.