Key result
Male sex was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of diabetic retinopathy compared to female sex (22.0% vs. 19.3%; p<0.0001) despite having fewer traditional risk factors.
Why the study?
Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of visual loss in adults aged 20-64 years, but sex-gender differences in type 2 diabetes mellitus required investigation.
Does male sex increase the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients compared to female sex?
Cross-Sectional (n=20,611)
Yes
Does male sex increase the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients compared to female sex?
Absolute Event Rate: 22% vs 19.3%
p-value: p=<0.0001
Men with type 2 diabetes have a higher prevalence of diabetic retinopathy compared to women, despite having fewer traditional risk factors.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the main causes of visual loss in individuals aged 20–64 years old. The aim of this study was to investigate, in a multicenter retrospective cross-sectional study, sex-gender difference in DR in a large sample of type 2 diabetic patients (T2DM). 20,611 T2DM regularly attending the units for the last three years were classified as having: (a) No DR (NDR), (b) nonproliferative DR (NPDR), or (c) preproliferative/proliferative DR (PPDR). DR of all grades was present in 4294 T2DM (20.8%), with a significant higher prevalence in men as compared to women (22.0% vs. 19.3% p < 0.0001). Among DR patients, both NPDR and PPDR were significantly more prevalent in men vs. women (p = 0.001 and p = 0.0016, respectively). Women had similar age and BMI, but longer diabetes duration, worse glycemic metabolic control, and more prevalence of hypertension and chronic renal failure (CRF) of any grade vs. men. No significant differences between sexes were evident in term of drug therapy for diabetes and associate pathologies. Conclusions: In this large sample of T2DM, men show higher prevalence of DR vs. women, in spite of less represented risk factors, suggesting that male sex per se might be a risk factor for DR development.
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Cherchi et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (n=20,611). Male sex vs. Female sex was evaluated on Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy of all grades (p=<0.0001). Male sex was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of diabetic retinopathy compared to female sex (22.0% vs. 19.3%; p<0.0001) despite having fewer traditional risk factors.
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