Retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients

In 1978, an epidemiological survey for adult diabetes was conducted in Taipei City. A total of 219 Chinese non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients were discovered and 217 of them were examined for retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy. Among the 110 men and 107 women studied, 63.1% were free of complications and the prevalences for retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy were 24.0%, 12.9% and 23.5%, respectively. The clinical and biochemical data of the patients were compared. For those with and those without complications, the diabetic duration (8.2 +/- 6.7 vs 4.1 +/- 2.7, years), percentage of insulin treatment (8.8% +/- 0.7%), percentage of hypertension (42.5% vs 26.3%), and the fasting plasma glucose (182.8 +/- 63.6 vs 135.0 +/- 44.6, mg/dl) were significantly different. Diabetic duration and glycemic control consistently correlated with retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. Hypertension and insulin treatment were also associated positively with the complications. The more complications the diabetic patients had, the poorer the glycemic control, the longer the diabetic duration, a higher percentage of insulin treatment and hypertension were found.