Retinopathy and Microalbuminuria in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

T he aim of this study was to identifyrisk factors for the development ofretinopathy and microalbuminuria andtheir relation in type 2 diabetic patients.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectionalstudy, 590 patients suffering from type 2 diabeteswere examined. Fundoscopy was performedby an ophthalmologist. The ratio of urinary albuminto creatinine was assessed by clinitek 100(Bayer corporation-USA). HbA1C, height andweight also were measured.Results: The overall prevalence of retinopathywas 39.3% (232 patients), 5.4% of which provedto be proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).The diabetic retinopathy had a significant inverserelationship with body mass index (BMI)(P=0.02). HbA1C was higher in patients withPDR (mean=10.5%) than in patients with nosigns of retinopathy (mean=9.5%), (P=0.001). Theprevalence of microalbuminuria was 25.9%while 14.5% of the patients were seen to havemacroalbuminuria. As expected, diabetic retinopathyand renal involvement were highlypositively related. (P=0.001).Conclusion: Microalbuminuria is associated withdiabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patientsand is a reliable marker of retinopathy.