Retinopathy and Microalbuminuria in Type 2Diabetic Patients

The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for the development of retinopathy and microalbuminuria and their relation in type 2 diabetic patients. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 590 patients suffering from type 2 diabetes were examined. Fundoscopy was performed by an ophthalmologist. The ratio of urinary albumin to creatinine was assessed by clinitek 100 (Bayer corporation–USA). HbA1C, height and weight also were measured. Results: The overall prevalence of retinopathy was 39.3% (232 patients), 5.4% of which proved to be proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). The diabetic retinopathy had a significant inverse relationship with body mass index (BMI) (P=0.02). HbA1C was higher in patients with PDR (mean=10.5%) than in patients with no signs of retinopathy (mean=9.5%), (P=0.001). The prevalence of microalbuminuria was 25.9% while 14.5% of the patients were seen to have macroalbuminuria. As expected, diabetic retinopathy and renal involvement were highly positively related. (P=0.001). Conclusion: Microalbuminuria is associated with diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients and is a reliable marker of retinopathy.