Abstract
A cross-sectional study of retinopathy and ischemic changes in ECG (IC) was performed on 332 male and 306 female adult diabetics from 6 institutes. The prevalence rate of IC was higher in females than in males. The patients with retinopathy or with IC were compared with age-, sexand institute-matched control diabetics. Duration of diabetes, hypertension and low HDL-cholesterol were closely related to retinopathy, especially to proliferative retinopathy in both sexes. Triglyceride was on additional factor in females. With regard to IC, systolic blood pressure was the only correlate in both sexes. In females, triglyceride was an additional factor. No correlation of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol or cigarette smoking with IC was seen. The pathogeneses of retinopathy and IC were suggested to be independent of each other, although the two complications had some common risk factors such as hypertension or triglyceride.
