Introduction: Type 2 Diabetes is now a global endemic and the prevalence is ever increasing with socio economic changes, more geriatric population, urbanisation, dietary changes, less physical exercise and lifestyle changes. The risk of developing microvascular complications increases wit duration and severitity of diabetes. So through this study we tried to explore the relationship between severity of diabetes with development of retinopathy.

Material & Methods: A total of 472 patients with known history of type 2 Diabetes mellitus attending the ophthalmology OPD of our hospital were for enrolled for the study. The study is a cross sectional study .The cases were subjected to detailed ocular examination after noting their detailed medical and demographic history. Diabetic retinopathy if noted was graded according to ETDRS classification. All patients were investigated for serum creatinine, serum urea, fasting or postprandial blood sugar levels, HbA1c levels and urine microalbumin levels.

Results: Of the total 472 cases there were 261 males and 211 females, so the female: male ratio was 0.8:1.The majority of the patients lie in age group of 41 to 60 years. Patient who did not had any diabetic retinopathy were classified in group 1 .While the rest of patients who had diabetic retinopathy was categorized in group 2, which was further divided in 3 groups -into IIa who suffer from mild to moderate NPDR, group IIb suffering from severe to very severe NPDR and group IIc who suffered from proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Conclusion: There was a statistical significant correlation between the severity of diabetic retinopathy and diabetes duration. Also statistically significant Association was found between HB a1c values and severity of diabetic retinopathy.

Keywords: HbA1c, diabetes duration, diabetic retinopathy.

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Dr Avinash Bagzai