Diabetes Mellitus como fator de risco para as doenças oculares em pacientes deficientes visuais

Abstract

To describe and analyze the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of visually impaired diabetic patients and to verify the association between diabetes mellitus and eye disorders among visually impaired patients. Method: Cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative study developed with 51 visually impaired diabetic patients who participated in a structured interview. Descriptive analysis, Kolmogorov Smirnov test, Poisson Regression, Binary Logistic Regression, and Spearman Correlation were performed. Results: Most participants were male (58.8%), aged 60 years or older (43.1%), white (49.0%) and without a partner (56.8%). They were overweighted (43.15%) and hypertensive (74.5%). Most of the population was blind (72.55%) and reported that diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataract were the cause of visual impairment (62.75%); 78.26% of type 1 diabetic patients had retinopathy, with a statistically significant association (p = 0.008). Glaucoma prevailed in 51.35% of blind people, and cataract in 58.82% of the participants. Statistically significant correlation with time since diabetes diagnosis, with cataract showing a low correlation level (r = 0.280 and p = 0.047), and diabetic retinopathy, a moderate correlation level (r = 0.565 and p = 0.000). Conclusion: Statistically significant association between type of diabetes and retinopathy as well as statistically significant correlation between time since MD diagnosis, cataract and diabetic retinopathy were observed. The clinical and sociodemographic characterization of visually impaired diabetic patients can guide the management of care and the promotion and prevention programs to be developed.