Abstract

LICEA PUIG, Manuel E.; FERNANDEZ LEYVA, Harbert; CABRERA RODE, Eduardo  and  MACIQUES RODRIGUEZ, Elvira. Frequency and clinical characteristics of diabetic retinopathy in a group of persons recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Rev Cubana Endocrinol [online]. 2003, vol.14, n.2, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-2953.

In the last few years, great attention has been paid to microangiopathic complications occurred in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and diabetic retinopathy is not the exception. The objective of this paper is to determine the frequency and the clinical characteristics of diabetic retinopathy in a group of persons recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. One hundred ten patients (£ 6 months) having negative anti islet cell antibodies (ICA) and anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (AGAD) were studied, who had been consecutively seen in the Diabetic Care Center of the National Institute of Endocrinology (INEN). The variables used were: age, sex, smoking, body mass index, age of onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus, presence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and incipient diabetic nephropathy(IDN) as well as blood pressure. ICA, AGAD, glycosylated hemoglobin, glycemia on fasting and postprandial 2 hours after breaskfast and 2 hours after lunch, and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in urine collected 24 hours were determined. The study did not include patients with neither clinical diabetic nephropathy (UAE ³ 300 mg/L) nor other causes and raised UAE. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of DR as well as the severity of this illness, and the criteria suggested by L´Esperance were followed. 7% of the whole series presented with some type of DR (7 non-proliferative and 1 proliferative). Systolic blood pressure was 127,84 ± 19,43 mmHg in those patients without DR and 140 ± 15,27 mmHg in those having non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (p ‹ 0,0016). Diastolic blood pressure was 81,99 ± 11,65 mmHg in patients without DR and 87,86 ± 13,49 mmHg in those suffering DR (p < 0,00027). Four of the seven persons that had non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy also presented with IDN (UAE > 20 to < 300mg/L). The figures corresponding to glycemia on fasting and postprandial, HbA1 and UAE did not show statistically significant differences. DR may be present at the moment of clinical diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, even proliferative form, which makes it necessary to perform a thorough ophtalmologic test in every person suffering type 2 diabetes mellitus at the moment of diagnosis.

Keywords : DIABETIC RETINOPATHY; TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS OF RECENT DIAGNOSIS; BLOOD HYPERTENSION; INCIPIENT DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY.