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Affluence is not related to delay in diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes as judged by the development of diabetic retinopathy
Author(s) -
Litwin A. S.,
Clover A.,
Hodgkins P. R.,
Luff A. J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1046/j.1464-5491.2002.00805.x
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetic retinopathy , interquartile range , retinopathy , diabetes mellitus , type 2 diabetes , social deprivation , townsend , pediatrics , ophthalmology , optometry , endocrinology , physics , quantum mechanics , economics , economic growth
Aim To determine the relationship between affluence and the presence of diabetic retinopathy at time of diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. Methods Records of patients held by Southampton Retinal Screening Programme were examined. Patients ( n = 1844) newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and subsequently receiving photographic retinal screening within 24 months were selected. Townsend scores for social deprivation were calculated and the patients with and without retinopathy at first screening were then compared. Results No significant difference was found in the median Townsend score of those people with (−0.2, interquartile range (IQR) −3.7 to 3.8) and those without (−0.5, IQR −3.3 to 3.6) diabetic retinopathy at first screening after diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes ( P = 0.6). Conclusion The relative affluence of the area in which a person lives, as judged by postcode, does not appear to predict likelihood of diabetic retinopathy at diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.