The number of adults with diagnosed diabetes reporting visual impairment has increased, but the age-adjusted percentage has decreased significantly, according to the 14-year National Health Interview Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Respondents were asked if they had been diagnosed with diabetes, and then they were asked if they had trouble seeing even with eyeglasses or contact lenses. People who said yes to both questions were considered to have diabetes and visual impairment (VI).
Respondents also were asked if they had visited an eye-care provider within the last year. The percentage of people who answered yes to that question remained mostly constant, at around 63% throughout the 14-year period.
Demographic data, including sex, ethnicity, and race, were collected as well (MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 2011;60:1549-53).
The number of adults with diabetes and visual impairment grew from 2.7 million in 1997 to 3.9 million in 2010. Age-adjusted prevalence of VI dropped from 23.7% in 1997 to 16.7% in 2010, falling most sharply among whites, Hispanics, those with some college or higher education, those diagnosed with diabetes for at least 3 years, and people aged 45 years or older, according to the findings.
On the other hand, prevalence did not decrease significantly among blacks, people who had been diagnosed with diabetes for less than 3 years, and people aged 18-44 years. Among those with a high school education or less, the prevalence dropped significantly, from 26.4% in 1997 to 18.2% in 2005, but rebounded and increased – although not significantly – to 20.7% in 2010.
This decrease may be attributable in part to better control of VI risk factors (such as blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid control), improved detection and treatment of eye problems, or other factors. Alternatively, the drop may be explained by the large and sustained increase of new cases of diabetes since the 1990s, resulting in a large number of people who have not had diabetes long enough to develop VI.
This alternative explanation would mean that the encouraging trends may reverse in the coming years. Additionally, the number of people going for their recommended annual dilated-eye examination has languished. Continued monitoring for VI among people with diabetes as well as improving the level of care are recommended.
Response rates for the survey varied, ranging from a high of 80.4% in 1997 to a low of 60.8% in 2010, averaging at 70.5% for the 14-year period.
There were no relevant financial disclosures.