Longitudinal Trends and Disparities in Diabetic Retinopathy Within an Aggregate Health Care Network

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a significant cause of blindness in the US.
• Advancements in diabetes care necessitate updated prevalence and incidence data for DR.
• Identifying at-risk populations is crucial for effective public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze recent trends in DR prevalence.
• To stratify DR prevalence by demographics to identify at-risk groups.
• To understand the impact of evolving diabetes care on DR epidemiology.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional epidemiologic evaluation using deidentified data from the TriNetX Analytics network (2015-2022).
• Inclusion of patients with International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision codes for type 1 DR (T1DR) and type 2 DR (T2DR).
• Stratification by age cohorts, race/ethnicity, and sex.

Main Results:

• Overall prevalence of T1DR and T2DR increased between 2015 and 2022.
• Significant prevalence increases observed in young adults (20-39 years) for both T1DR and T2DR.
• T2DR showed disproportionately higher prevalence increases in Hispanic and Black communities, with notable odds ratios for males.

Conclusions:

• DR prevalence is rising, with a concerning increase among young adults.
• T2DR interventions should be tailored for racial and ethnic minority groups disproportionately affected.
• Expanded DR screening for young adults and targeted T2DR interventions are recommended.