Abstract
It has been reported that diabetics with positive CPAF (Chlorpropamide Alcohol Flushing) reveal less diabetic retinopathy than those with negative CPAF. Since it seemed possible that flushing with Nicomol, a derivative of nicotinic acid, might have the same significance as CPAF, the relationship between the presence of Nicomol Flushing and the frequency of diabetic retinopathy was studied.
The results obtained were as follows.
1) The amount of positive Nicomol Flushing was 13 % in normals, 9.1 % in insulin dependent diabetics and 32.2 % in non-insulin dependent diabetics.
2) The frequency of diabetic retinopathy was 27.6% in diabetics with positive Nicomol Flushing and 68.4% in those with negative Nicomol Flushing (p<0.001).
3) The mean values for both the age and duration of diabetes were not significantly different between the two groups of diabetics with positive and negative Nicomol Flushing.
The Nicomol Flushing appears to suggest the involvement of some factor in relation to the occurrence of diabetic retinopathy.
