Clinical Course of Pancreatic Diabetes

with Special Reference to a Study on Diabetic Angiopathies

Abstract

In the present study we investigated the occurrence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and microangiopathies complicating chronic pancreatitis and assessed the effect of diabetic complications on the prognosis. The subjects of this study were 13 patients with pancreatic diabetes who were followed for a long period. Hypertension was detected in 6 of the 9 patients whose diabetes had been diagnosed more than 10 years previously. Control of hypertemsion was difficult in most cases. Hypertension developed 11 to 17 years (avavage; 13.5 years) after diabetes was diagnosed. Around the same time both retinopathy and mephropathy developed in 5 of these 6 patients. Blood glucose was poorlycontrolled at the time the above complications were first moted (HbA₁ 10.6-12.9%). Seven of the patients died. Diabetic complications are thought to have been the main cause of their death. The incidence of such complications im pancreatic diabetes is anmmost the same as in primary diabetes. Diabetic angiopathies in particular are believed to determine the prognosis of patients with pancreaticdiabetes due to chronic pancreatitis. These findings suggested that early detection and strict treatment of the above complications are important, in addition to good control of the diabetes.