Abstract:

Objective: Little is known about the retinal manifestations of arterial hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in Western Tanzania and how to maximise the utilisation of scarce eye health resources. To address this, we determined the prevalence of hypertensive and diabetic retinopathy (DR), associated risk factors and relevant patient knowledge.

Methods: Adults with HTN or DM attending outpatient clinics at Bugando Medical Center (BMC) from June to August 2017 were enrolled. Fundus photographs were obtained, and data were collected on blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), blood sugar, visual acuity (VA) and responses to questions about the effects of HTN and DM on the eye.

Results: A total of 180 persons were screened. When only individuals with DR were considered, bivariate regression found systolic BP was significantly associated with severity of DR (P = 0.034). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis using the maximum Youden index revealed the optimum cut-off using duration of DM to predict any DR was 8 years (AUC = 0.75, 95% CI 0.65–0.85). Fewer persons with HTN were aware of the effect of high BP on the eye (61.6%) than persons with DM who were aware of the effect of high blood sugar on the eye (74.4%) (P = 0.048).

Conclusion: Efforts should be made to vigorously treat HTN among adults with DM and refer adults with duration of DM of 8 years or more for a dilated retinal examination. Additional efforts should be made to promote awareness of the sight threatening potential of HTN in resource-limited settings.