Low prevalence of retinopathy among Greenland Inuit

• Published in: International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Main Authors: Trine Louise Jul Larsen, Marit Eika Jørgensen, Michael Lynge Pedersen, Henrik Lund-Andersen, Marianne Valerius, Ellen Juul, Stine Byberg
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2021
• Subjects: retinopathy; greenland inuit; diabetes; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic; Greenland; Circumpolar Health; International Journal of Circumpolar Health; inuit
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2021.1938420; https://doaj.org/article/180c3cdb3bd84c878a9a33364bdab8e9

To assess the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) among persons with diabetes and prediabetes participating in the 2018 Population Health Survey in Greenland (B2018), a follow-up survey of three previous health surveys. Participants were invited to a diabetes complication screening. We assessed the prevalence of DR using Optos Daytona Ultra-wide field fundus camera and assessed differences in prevalence according to demographic and clinical characteristics using chi square test and a t-test and assessed DR based on ethnicity. The overall prevalence of DR was 2% (10/483). Among participants with HbA1c ≥48 mmol/mol (6.5%) DR prevalence was 9% (9/91), compared with <1% (1/382) among participants with HbA1c <48 mmol/mol (6.5%). All participants with DR lived in towns. The mean Inuit genetic admixture was lower among participants with DR. The prevalence of DR is low in Greenland and almost non-existent among persons with HbA1c below the diabetes threshold.