Diabetic eye disease in Central Africa

Six hundred African diabetic patients were examined using a standardised technique based on the World Health Organisation Multinational Study, in which no country from Africa was represented. Thirty-four percent of patients had retinopathy and 13% were affected by cataract. They were older and the duration of diabetes was longer than patients without retinopathy or cataract. There was no association with glycaemic control. Systolic blood pressure was higher in patients with retinopathy but there was no association with diastolic pressure. Only one patient had proliferative retinopathy and blindness compared to 25 (4.2%) patients blinded by cataract. In Central Africa cataract is a more important cause of blindness and visual disability than retinopathy.