ABSTRACT
Sixty-seven diabetic subjects were admitted to the endocrinology department. Thirty-four of them, 17 women and 17 men who have negative proteinuria by Standard urine analysis were accepted into the study. The average age of the patients and the mean value of diabetic duration were significantly higher in the patients who have diabetic ophthalmological complications as compared to uncomplicated cases (p < 0.0001, p < 0.05 respectively). The mean value of urinary albumin excretion rate in the patients who have ophthalmopathy was significantly higher as compared to the subjects who have no detectable diabetic complication (87.41±89, 17.61±21.5 ug/min. p< 0.001 respectively). Ophthalmopathy has been found in 60 % of the patients with microalbuminuria while the complication ratio in normoalbuminuric patients did not exceed 15.7 %. The HbA1c values in both microalbuminuric and normoalbuminuria subjects did not show any significant differences. The correlation between microalbuminuria and the prevalence of ophthalmopathy might be related to microangiopathy which is the main cause of both situations. These results indicated that; 1) Aging and the extended duration of diabetes lead to the increase of ophthalmopathic complications. 2) Urinary albumin excretion rate in the patients who have diabetic ophthalmopathy was increased to apparently high levels. 3) There is no clear-cut correlation between HbA1c level and ophthalmic complications.
Sixty-seven diabetic subjects were admitted to the endocrinology department. Thirty-four of them, 17 women and 17 men who have negative proteinuria by Standard urine analysis were accepted into the study. The average age of the patients and the mean value of diabetic duration were significantly higher in the patients who have diabetic ophthalmological complications as compared to uncomplicated cases (p < 0.0001, p < 0.05 respectively). The mean value of urinary albumin excretion rate in the patients who have ophthalmopathy was significantly higher as compared to the subjects who have no detectable diabetic complication (87.41±89, 17.61±21.5 ug/min. p< 0.001 respectively). Ophthalmopathy has been found in 60 % of the patients with microalbuminuria while the complication ratio in normoalbuminuric patients did not exceed 15.7 %. The HbA1c values in both microalbuminuric and normoalbuminuria subjects did not show any significant differences. The correlation between microalbuminuria and the prevalence of ophthalmopathy might be related to microangiopathy which is the main cause of both situations. These results indicated that; 1) Aging and the extended duration of diabetes lead to the increase of ophthalmopathic complications. 2) Urinary albumin excretion rate in the patients who have diabetic ophthalmopathy was increased to apparently high levels. 3) There is no clear-cut correlation between HbA1c level and ophthalmic complications.