Global Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy in Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing globally. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness in adults with T2D; however, the global burden of DR in pediatric T2D is unknown. This knowledge can inform retinopathy screening and treatments to preserve vision in this population.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the global prevalence of DR in pediatric T2D.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, and the gray literature (ie, literature containing information that is not available through traditional publishing and distribution channels) were searched for relevant records from the date of database inception to April 4, 2021, with updated searches conducted on May 17, 2022. Searches were limited to human studies. No language restrictions were applied. Search terms included diabetic retinopathy; diabetes mellitus, type 2; prevalence studies; and child, adolescent, teenage, youth, and pediatric.

STUDY SELECTION

Three teams, each with 2 reviewers, independently screened for observational studies with 10 or more participants that reported the prevalence of DR. Among 1989 screened articles, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria for the pooled analysis.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Two independent reviewers performed the risk of bias and level of evidence analyses. The results were pooled using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was reported using χ2 and I2 statistics.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The main outcome was the estimated pooled global prevalence of DR in pediatric T2D. Other outcomes included DR severity and current DR assessment methods. The association of diabetes duration, sex, race, age, and obesity with DR prevalence was also assessed.

RESULTS

Among the 27 studies included in the pooled analysis (5924 unique patients; age range at T2D diagnosis, 6.5-21.0 years), the global prevalence of DR in pediatric T2D was 6.99% (95% CI, 3.75%-11.00%; I2 = 95%; 615 patients). Fundoscopy was less sensitive than 7-field stereoscopic fundus photography in detecting retinopathy (0.47% [95% CI, 0%-3.30%; I2 = 0%] vs 13.55% [95% CI, 5.43%-24.29%; I2 = 92%]). The prevalence of DR increased over time and was 1.11% (95% CI, 0.04%-3.06%; I2 = 5%) at less than 2.5 years after T2D diagnosis, 9.04% (95% CI, 2.24%-19.55%; I2 = 88%) at 2.5 to 5.0 years after T2D diagnosis, and 28.14% (95% CI, 12.84%-46.45%; I2 = 96%) at more than 5 years after T2D diagnosis. The prevalence of DR increased with age, and no differences were noted based on sex, race, or obesity. Heterogeneity was high among studies.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this study, DR prevalence in pediatric T2D increased significantly at more than 5 years after diagnosis. These findings suggest that retinal microvasculature is an early target of T2D in children and adolescents, and annual screening with fundus photography beginning at diagnosis offers the best assessment method for early detection of DR in pediatric patients.

The Prevalence of Obesity Among Children With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Importance

The childhood obesity epidemic is presumed to drive pediatric type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, the global scale of obesity in children with T2D is unknown.

Objectives

To evaluate the global prevalence of obesity in pediatric T2D, examine the association of sex and race with obesity risk, and assess the association of obesity with glycemic control and dyslipidemia.

Data Sources

MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from database inception to June 16, 2022.

Study Selection

Observational studies with at least 10 participants reporting the prevalence of obesity in patients with pediatric T2D were included.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Following the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology reporting guideline, 2 independent reviewers in teams performed data extraction and risk of bias and level of evidence analyses. The meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcomes included the pooled prevalence rates of obesity in children with T2D. The secondary outcomes assessed pooled prevalence rates by sex and race and associations between obesity and glycemic control and dyslipidemia.

Results

Of 57 articles included in the systematic review, 53 articles, with 8942 participants, were included in the meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of obesity among pediatric patients with T2D was 75.27% (95% CI, 70.47%-79.78%), and the prevalence of obesity at diabetes diagnosis among 4688 participants was 77.24% (95% CI, 70.55%-83.34%). While male participants had higher odds of obesity than female participants (odds ratio, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.33-3.31), Asian participants had the lowest prevalence of obesity (64.50%; 95% CI, 53.28%-74.99%), and White participants had the highest prevalence of obesity (89.86%; 95% CI, 71.50%-99.74%) compared with other racial groups. High heterogeneity across studies and varying degrees of glycemic control and dyslipidemia were noted.

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that obesity is not a universal phenotype in children with T2D. Further studies are needed to consider the role of obesity and other mechanisms in diabetes genesis in this population.

ODP185 Diabetic Retinopathy Prevalence in Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is on the rise in children and adolescents. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness in adult patients with diabetes. However, the exact prevalence of DR and its determinants in pediatric patients with T2DM are unknown. Understanding the burden of DR in pediatric T2DM can help inform screening and management clinical practice guidelines. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of DR in pediatric T2DM. The main outcome was the pooled prevalence of DR in pediatric T2DM. Other important outcomes included the assessment of the impact of diabetes duration, method of retinopathy diagnosis, sex, race, and obesity on prevalence. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and the grey literature from inception until April 4, 2021 for relevant data. No language restrictions were applied, and searches were limited to human studies. Two reviewers independently screened for studies of T2DM patients diagnosed <21 years of age with observational study design and ≥10 participants. Risk of bias evaluation was performed and level of evidence analysis was conducted using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine criteria. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool the results. Out of 1849 screened studies, 24 studies met the inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence of DR in pediatric T2DM was 6.58% (95%CI 3.46-10.46, I 2 =96%,n=9026). Most cases were classified as minimal or mild non-proliferative DR. Six cases were sight-threatening. Prevalence was higher in studies using fundoscopy than fundus photography to evaluate DR (0.47% [95%CI 0. 00-3.30, I 2 =0%,n=135] vs. 18.20% [95%CI 7.92-31.28, I 2 =89%,n=718]), suggesting that fundus photography was more sensitive in detecting DR than fundoscopy. The risk of DR rose progressively post-diagnosis; while1.25% (95%CI 0. 00-4. 01, I 2 =13%,n=213) of patients had DR <3 years post T2DM diagnosis, this figure rose to33. 03% (95%CI 25.79-40.66, I 2 =0%,n=162) >5 years after diagnosis. Obesity and sex did not impact DR prevalence. White/Middle Eastern patients had a DR prevalence of 7.43% (95%CI 0. 00-31.37; I 2 =97%,P <0. 001, n=4419),while Asians had a higher prevalence of 14.85% (95%CI 0.91-39.16; I 2 =93%,P <0. 001, n=501). In conclusion, DR is a frequent complication in children and adolescents in the early years post T2DM diagnosis. Screening for DR at diagnosis and annually thereafter using fundus photography is critical to allow early detection and management to prevent visual impairment in these patients.

Presentation: No date and time listed