Prior cataract surgery associated with higher risk of diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetes

It may be beneficial to screen patients with diabetes more frequently for diabetic retinopathy after cataract surgery, according to data published in JAMA Network Open.

In this population-based cohort study, 972 participants with type 2 diabetes were evaluated at baseline, with163 study eyes having undergone cataract surgery prior to evaluation. A total of 187 eyes that were considered phakic at baseline underwent cataract surgery during the 6-year study period.

At follow-up, 22% of eyes that had undergone cataract surgery and 14% of eyes that did not undergo cataract surgery developed diabetic retinopathy.

Multivariable regression analysis showed that previously undergoing cataract surgery was associated with incidence of diabetic retinopathy.

Reference

Tham Y, Liu L, Rim TH, et al. Association of cataract surgery with risk of diabetic retinopathy among Asian participants in the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(6):e208035. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.8035