The study evaluated the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in 295 type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic foot complications and found that 70% exhibited some degree of DR. A correlation was observed between the severity of DR and the severity of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), although no correlation was established with age, duration of diabetes, or HbA1c levels. The findings suggest a significant relationship between DR and PAD in this patient population.

1. Rosa Giannarelli, MD
Prevalence of
Diabetic Retinopathy
and its correlation
with severity of
Peripheral Arterial
Disease
In Type 2 diabetic
patients
E. Iacopi, A. Coppelli, M. Aragona, I. Bargellini, C.
Mattaliano, L. Ambrosini Nobili, A. Cicorelli. A. Lunardi,
R. Cioni, A. Piaggesi
EWMA-GNEAUPP 2014
Madrid 14-16 May 2014
Diabetic Foot Section , University of Pisa, Italy

2. We evaluated the prevalence of DR in 295 type 2
diabetic patients admitted in our Department for DF
from 2008 until 2011. All patients were examined
with indirect and direct retinoscopy and two non-
stereoscopic 45° retinal photographs for each eye.
Of these 228 (77.3%) underwent to lower extremity
transluminal angioplasty for critical limb ischaemia
and PAD severity was graded according to
Classification of Joint Vascular Society Council (JVSC).
Characteristics of the
study
To determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy
(DR) and to explore its correlation with severity of
peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in Type 2 diabetic
patients with diabetic foot (DF).
AIM
OF
THE
STUDY
PATIENTS
AND
METHODS

3. %
yrs
yrs
Characteristics of the
patients
CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE GENERAL
POPULATION
Patients (n) 295
Male/Female (n) 216/79
Procedures (n) 228
Age (yr) 69.1 ± 10.0
Duration of diabetes (yr) 20 ± 12
HbA1c (%) 8.1 ± 1.9
BMI (Kg/m2) 27.4 ± 4.5

4. Results
%
RETINOPATHY
PREVALENCE
According to the table below it’s so
possible to define:
CALF SCORE: 1+
ü Anterior tibial
ü Posterior tibial
ü Peroneal
FOOT SCORE: 1+
ü Dorsalis pedis
ü Lateral plantar
ü Medial plantar
JVSC
SCORE
For each patient who underwent to
p e r c u t a n e o u s t r a n s l u m i n a l
angioplasty we assessed the severity
of peripheral arterial disease during
the angiographic exam by the
Classification score of Joint Vascular
Society Council.

5. Thanks for attention
Conclusions
ü We observed a high prevalence of DR in
type 2 diabetic patients with foot
complications (70% of these patients have
some degree of DR).
ü Furthermore, while no correlation was found
between JVSC score and age, duration of
diabetes or HbA1c respectively, in our
patients the severity of diabetic retinopathy
correlated with the severity of peripheral
arterial disease (p<0.05 r=0,65).