Differences by sex, ethnicity
“We were also surprised that there was very limited evidence to understand the sex and race differences in retinopathy risk,” said Dr. Samaan. “Further research is warranted, considering that more girls develop type 2 diabetes than boys, and the risk of type 2 diabetes is higher in some racial groups.”
In addition, older age, longer diabetes duration, and higher hypertension prevalence were associated with diabetic retinopathy prevalence. There were no associations with obesity prevalence or mean age at diabetes diagnosis. However, patients who developed diabetic retinopathy had a higher mean A1c level of 1.4% compared to those without retinopathy.
Dr. Samaan and colleagues are continuing to research the comorbidities and complications that children with type 2 diabetes face as well as mechanisms that drive diabetes outcomes among children and adolescents.
For now, the findings highlight the importance of retinopathy screening and personalized diabetes treatment to protect vision, Dr. Samaan reiterated.
No funding source for the study was reported. The authors have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.