2000 Volume 49 Issue 4 Pages 565-572
To determine risk factors for progression of diabetic retinopathy, a study was conducted in 92 patients with diabetes whose HbA1c levels were more than 9.5% when they were admitted to our hospital.
The progression of retinopathy was observed in 50% of the patients during 12 months after admission. Their cases were diagnosed as preproliferative retinopathy. The duration of no-treatment, serum cholesterol level, blood pressure and proteinuria were significantly greater in the deterioration group of retinopathy than in the no-deterioration group. Nerve conduction velocity was significantly lower in the deterioration group of retinopathy than in the no-deterioration group. The reduction of HbA1c level during the period of 3 months after admission was significantly higher in the deterioration group than in the improved group. In the patients whose initial levels of HbA1c were less than 10%, the deterioration of retinopathy was not observed. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the duration of no-treatment, serum cholesterol level, blood pressure, proteinuria, nerve conduction velocity, retinopathy severity, the HbA1c level at admission and the reduction of HbA1c level during the 3-month period are risk factors for the progression of retinopathy.
