Aims: To examine whether diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of acute infectious conjunctivitis (AIC) in adults, as measured by treatment with topical ocular antibiotics.
Methods: A population-based, case-control study in North Jutland County, Denmark. Incident cases of AIC were defined as persons aged more than 15 years redeeming a first-time prescription for a topical ocular antibiotic during 1999 in the County Prescription Database. Five gender- and age-matched population control subjects per case were selected using a unique personal identifier, the Civil Registry Number. Diabetes prior to the ocular antibiotic prescription was determined by record-linkage with the Prescription Database and Hospital Discharge Registry in the county. Odds ratios (ORs) for acute infectious conjunctivitis among diabetic individuals and control subjects were estimated, adjusting for a range of potential risk factors.
Results: Among 16 193 adults treated with topical ocular antibiotics, 3.1% had diabetes as compared with 2.5% of the control subjects. The overall adjusted OR for acute infectious conjunctivitis in patients with diabetes was 1.24 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13-1.38]. Risk estimates of acute infectious conjunctivitis in individuals with diabetes were consistently increased for both women and men, for all age groups, and for different types of ocular antibiotics prescribed.
Conclusions: This study suggests that diabetes is a risk factor for acute infectious conjunctivitis.