Prevalence, Incidence of Diabetic Retinal Disease Increased in Recent Years
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 8, 2025 -- The prevalence and incidence of diabetic retinal disease (DRD) has increased in recent years, while the incidence of vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR), diabetic macular edema (DME), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) has improved since 2000, according to a study published in the July issue of Ophthalmology.
Brian L. VanderBeek, M.D., M.P.H., from the Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study involving diabetes mellitus patients insured by commercial and Medicare Advantage insurance plans in a claims database from 2000 through 2022.
The researchers found that from 2001 to 2007, the prevalence of DRD decreased from 13.6 to 10.9 percent, then increased every year through 2021 (20.8 percent). Considerable variation was seen in the incidence of DRD, ranging from 16.9 to 32.2 cases per 1,000 patient-years in 2013 and 2021, respectively. Similar trends were seen in the prevalence of VTDR and DME, with increases from 2007 through 2016 (5.2 to 7.5 percent for VTDR; 3.2 to 5.4 percent for DME), followed by decreases each year through 2021 to 6.9 and 4.9 percent, respectively. Incidence rates of VTDR and DME peaked in 2009 (12.4 and 8.6 cases per 1,000 patient-years, respectively) and decreased through 2022 (6.1 and 5.0 cases per 1,000 patient-years, respectively). Through the 20-year observation period, the prevalence of PDR varied between 3.2 and 4.0 percent; incidence decreased over time to 2.6 cases per 1,000 patient-years in 2022.
"Although the growing number of patients impacted by DRD is certainly concerning, it does not seem to have impacted the incidence of VTDR or its component diseases, which have decreased over the 20-year analysis," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to EyePoint Pharmaceuticals.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2025
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