Diabetic Macular Edema in the Western Part of Romania: Screening to Improve Patient Outcomes

<b>Background</b>: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global healthcare concern with a rising prevalence. Patients with DM have a severely diminished quality of life due to the extensive range of connected complications. One of the most impactful diabetes-associated pathologies is diabetic macular edema (DME), as it is a major cause of blindness globally. Patients with DME present many concomitant diseases that influence their prognosis. The present research seeks to describe the most frequent DME-related comorbidities. <b>Method</b>: This study enrolled 105 participants previously diagnosed with type 1 DM (T1DM) or type 2 DM (T2DM) (77 presenting with DME), who were evaluated regarding other associated comorbidities. <b>Results</b>: Patients in the DME group presented a median age of 65, with a mean disease duration of 15 years and inadequate glycemic control, reflected by a mean HbA1c of 7.5%. All patients presented at least one comorbidity, with hypertension (100%) and dyslipidemia (62.3%) being the most prevalent. Spearman analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation between DME and diabetes duration (<i>p</i> = 0.01), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (<i>p</i> = 0.004), and chronic kidney disease (<i>p</i> = 0.034). <b>Conclusions</b>: Patients with DME often present multiple comorbidities that must be screened for and addressed through a multidisciplinary approach.