Socioeconomic disparity in global vision loss burden due to diabetic retinopathy: an analysis on time trends from 1990 to 2017

Purpose To describe the trends of socioeconomic disparity in global vision loss burden associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) based on prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). Methods In the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study, we extracted global, regional, national, and World Bank categorical epidemiological data in vision impairment by time and age. We searched the Human development index (HDI) from the Human Development Report. Pearson correlation, linear regression, and Kruskal–Wallis test were conducted to analyze the correlation between YLD rates and HDI. We used the Gini coefficient and concentration index to evaluate the socioeconomic inequality trendency. Results The global and World Bank categorical prevalence and YLDs increased from 1990 to 2017, and rose with ageing. The age-standardized prevalence and YLD rates varied geographically and highest in the Eastern Mediterranean countries. Higher vision loss burden of DR was concentrated in countries with medium level of socioeconomic development, including lower/upper middle-income and medium/high-HDI countries. The Gini coefficient decreased from 0.572 in 1990 to 0.542 in 2017, showing the decreasing between-country inequality. The concentration index decreased from 0.153 in 2000 to 0.061 in 2017, showing the reducing socioeconomic-associated disparity. Conclusion The vision loss burden of DR increased in the past few decades, with a notable declining socioeconomic disparity since 2000. Our results highlight the necessity to provide more services to reduce the vision loss burden.