Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents one of the most impacting health issues of the modern era, as it is associated with an extensive range of comorbidities. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one the utmost severe diabetes complications as it is one of the major causes of vision loss among these patients. Our present research aims to evaluate the most frequent risk factors related to the occurrence of DR in T2DM patients. Method: This study consisted of a research group of 302 participants, priorly diagnosed with T2DM, that were evaluated for the most important risk factors related to the occurrence of DR. Results: Patients had a median age of 64 years, 48% of them being women, with a 12-year median duration of DM and presenting a deficient glycaemic control echoed by a median HbA1C value of 7.5%. From the total number of participants, the total prevalence of DR in different stages of severity was 34.8% with a 95% CI. Statistically significant values were found regarding DM duration (p = 0.007), HbA1c > 7.2% (p = 0.001) and patients aged over 67 years (p = 0.0035), all these parameters being directly linked to DR. Conclusions: Older patients with T2DM that have a longer disease duration and simultaneous comorbidities present a higher risk of DR development, consequently a stringent management of these pathologies is needed.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most complex metabolic disorders worldwide, with a continuously rising prevalence. T2DM is linked to multiple complications, among which metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has gained increasing recognition. MASLD is the leading cause of chronic liver disease and a major determinant of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This research aimed to estimate the prevalence of MASLD in a single-center outpatient diabetes clinic and explore the associated risk factors. Methods: The study included 170 adults previously diagnosed with T2DM. Data regarding disease duration, metabolic control, demographic characteristics, anthropometric parameters, and comorbidities were retrieved. Laboratory analyses and imaging investigations were conducted to assess liver status and MASLD presence. Results: The prevalence of MASLD was 76.47%. Patients with MASLD presented significantly higher body weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (all p < 0.0001). The MASLD population exhibited longer diabetes duration (p = 0.043) and poor metabolic control. The lipid profile showed higher LDL-cholesterol (p = 0.003) and triglycerides (p < 0.0001) and lower HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.0004). Insulin resistance indices illustrated significant differences, with higher METS-IR and lower eGDR in MASLD patients (both p < 0.0001). Conclusions: MASLD was highly prevalent in the evaluated population. Our findings suggest that MASLD occurrence is mainly associated with obesity, insulin resistance, inadequate glycemic control, and dyslipidemia. All these factors indicate an unfavorable metabolic profile in T2DM patients, underscoring the need for early liver function screening.