Presence of Eye Diseases in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Presencia de afecciones oftalmológicas en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major health problem worldwide given that it is one of the most common non-communicable diseases. The severity and diversity of its chronic complications includes the visual organ. Objective: To identify the presence of eye diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: A descriptive case series study was conducted at the Center for Diabetes Care and Education in Cienfuegos from January to June 2010. It included the patients with type 2 diabetes who were outpatiently admitted in this institution. The variables analyzed included: age, sex, skin color, personal medical history, risk factors, ophthalmologic conditions (both declared and hidden), as well as patients’ satisfaction degree with the care they received at the center. Results: The highest percent of patients were females (58.7%) and the predominant age group was that from 50 to 69 years old (34, 6%). Most frequently mentioned general and ophthalmic diseases were hypertension (52, 4%) and cataract (17, 8%), in that order. Among hidden diseases, eye cataract and suspected glaucoma predominated. 96.6% of diabetics included in the study were satisfied with the care they received at the center. Conclusions: It is common in our diabetic patients to suffer from undiagnosed eye conditions. In a considerable number of patients, diabetes mellitus is associated with hypertension and cataract. Fundamento: la diabetes mellitus es un importante problema de salud a nivel mundial, por ser una de las afecciones no transmisibles más frecuentes, así como por la severidad y diversidad de sus complicaciones crónicas, que incluyen al órgano de la visión. Objetivo: identificar la presencia de afecciones oftalmológicas en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Métodos: estudio descriptivo de serie de casos realizado en el Centro de Atención y Educación al Diabético, de Cienfuegos, en el período comprendido entre enero y junio del 2010, que incluyó a los pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 que recibieron ingreso ambulatorio en dicha institución. Variables analizadas: edad, sexo, color de la piel, antecedentes patológicos personales, factores de riesgo, afecciones oftalmológicas declaradas y ocultas en estos pacientes, así como el grado de satisfacción de los diabéticos ingresados en el centro. Resultados: el mayor por ciento de pacientes correspondió al sexo femenino (58,7 %) y al grupo de edad entre 50-69 a os (34, 6 %); las afecciones generales y oftalmológicas referidas con mayor frecuencia fueron la hipertensión arterial (52, 4 %) y la catarata (17, 8 %) respectivamente; en