Risk Factors Associated with Severe Proliferative Retinopathy in Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus
- Department of Diabetes, Medical Unit, St. Bartholomew's Hospital London, England, and the Department of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital London, W12 OHS, England
- Address reprint requests to H. J. Bodansky. Department of Diabetes, Medical Unit, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, EC1 7BE, England.
Abstract
The natural history of disease and suspected risk factors for bad prognosis were investigated in 40 subjects with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who had severe retinopathy and in 22 patients with a similar duration of diabetes without evidence of complications. The retinopathy group showed a marked excess of men (ratio 2:1). Examination of the data in the literature also showed a striking excess of men, 61% (P < 0.001) in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes and severe microvascular disease. In addition, proliferative retinopathy was found to have significant associations with current poor diabetic control, hypertension, and previous treatment with once-daily insulin regimens, particularly with protamine zinc insulin.
- Copyright © 1982 by the American Diabetes Association
