[Diabetes mellitus in parkinsonism patients]

The authors, after a survey on literature and an extensive epidemiological study on the problems of parkinsonism, report the results from their retrospective and prospective study on the incidence and clinical characteristics of diabetes mellitus, developed in the process of Parkinson's disease. Diabetes mellitus was established in 180 patients (7.77%) out of 2315 patients with parkinsonism studied from Sofia and the district of Lovetch. The majority of the diabetics are males, aged between 61 and 70, with non-insulin dependent type of diabetes (second type). The patients with light and moderately grave diabetes, predominated--most often clinically not manifested and diagnosed by determination of carbohydrate tolerance. As far as the character of parkinson syndrome in the patients with developed diabetes mellitus is concerned, most often patients with parkinsonism with mixed tremor-rigid form are referred to, with a duration of the disease from 3 to 5 years. The incidence and character of cardiovascular disturbances were studied in the patients with parkinsonism that developed diabetes mellitus.