Comparative evaluation of ophthalmoscopy and angiography for the assessment of retinopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is emerging as a common cause of visual loss. This study was aimed at comparing the relative utility of fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) with ophthalmoscopy (OPT) in its diagnosis with a cross-sectional cohort. A total of 100 patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus was divided into 3 groups depending on the duration from initial diagnosis and matched by important risk factors. Group A was < 5 years duration and had 31 patients; group B ranged between 5 and 15 years and had 40 patients; and group C were > 15 years with 29 patients. Parameters compared were: Normal retina (NR), background diabetic retinopathy (BDR), preproliferative diabetic retinopathy (PPR), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR); and clinically significant maculopathy (MAC). Dye leakage (DL) and micro-aneurysms (MA) were assessed separately as they are recognised early markers of DR. Result analysis revealed that FFA is well correlated with OPT (0.99) for all groups except group A, where DL (35.5%) played a significant role in altering the correlation (0.85 versus 0.98--OPT versus FFA); 8% of total patients revealed a worse grade with FFA compared to OPT, so appropriate grading of retinopathy is better with FFA at any duration. Less severe varieties of DR predominate in all the groups (BDR-77.4%, 80%, 24.1% respectively), more severe varieties dominate in group C (17.2% and 58.6% of PPR and PDR respectively). MAC is present significantly in group C. FFA is strongly advised, at least in the high-risk groups, at initial diagnosis for detection of DL and also appropriate grading. OPT is a simple and adequate option beyond 5 years of duration. OPT is as good as FFA for the diagnosis of MAC.

Hepatitis C and diabetes mellitus.

Hepatitis C virus infection in diabetes mellitus is more common than in non-diabetic population. Earlier it was thought to be due to more use of needles for insulin injections and frequent blood examination which has been recently antagonised by recent studies. Hepatitis C virus infection has shown to produce insulin resistance (because of liberated cytokines) insulin secretory defect (by viral infection or auto-immune damage). Hepatitis C virus infection also leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (a probable component of insulin resistance syndrome) and increased iron increased iron storage in the body. All these factors may explain hepatitic C virus infection as an aetiology for diabetes mellitus. If future researches strongly establish this fact, antiviral or vaccines for hepatitis C virus infection should be thought of for preventing diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes and tuberculosis interface.

Diabetes mellitus is often complicated by acute or chronic infections, as it is a secondary immune deficiency disorder. Diabetes mellitus produces immune alterations of both cellular and humoral immunity. Tuberculosis in diabetes mellitus is 2-5 times higher. Chances of recurrence with multidrug resistant bacteria are common. More cavitary lesions, less sputum positivity and with relative paucity of symptoms and signs are the features. Treatment for diabetes mellitus should be done with insulin. Every diabetic person should be screened for tuberculosis and every tuberculosis patient should also be searched for diabetes.

Comparative evaluation of diabetic and non-diabetic stroke--effect of glycaemia on outcome.

Though there are extensive data on diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease, there are not enough data on diabetic stroke. Present study was carried out to evaluate distinctive feature of diabetic and non-diabetic stroke and to compare early mortality between two groups. Four hundred and fifty consecutive stroke cases categorised into group I of 171 known diabetic and 279 non-diabetics. Reactive hyperglycaemia seen in cases with HbA1c below 7.0% were put into group II. Patients were evaluated clinically. Evidence of peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy and other target organ damage were assessed. Glycaemic parameters monitored include fasting plasma glucose (FPG), random plasma glucose (RPG) and HbA1c. Total serum cholesterol was taken as the main risk factor in both groups though lipid profile was done in all cases. CT scan was done in all cases and a repeat one when needed. Out of 450 cases 171 were diabetic and 279 cases were non-diabetic. There was female preponderance in diabetic. Average age of diabetic stroke was lower than non-diabetic, 51.2 years as against 67 years. History of previous stroke was higher in diabetic (15.8%) than non-diabetic (5.7%). There was higher incidence of transient ischaemic attack in diabetic (22.8%) than non-diabetic (7.5%), which was highly significant (p<0.001). Hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia (> 175 mg/dl) were two important risk factors in 70.9% and 30.9% respectively in group I compared to 47.6% and 21.1 % respectively in group II, both of which are significant (p<0.001). Ischaemic stroke were higher in group I(69%) as compared to group II (45.8%) which was significant (p<0.001). Lacunar infarct were more in group I (73.7%) than group II (61.7%). Haemorrhagic stroke was higher in group II (52.7%) than in group I (30.4%). Apart from recent event CT scan showed evidence of old lacunar infarct in 36.8% cases of group I compared to 21.1% of group II. During follow-up mortality within 4 weeks was higher in haemorrhagic stroke of group I (55.8%) compared to 49.6% in group II which is significant (p<0.05). For ischaemic stroke mortality in group I was 26.3% compared to 14.8% in group II which is very significant (p<0.001). Out of total mortality in group I, 35.08% had high HbA1c. Increased risk of stroke in diabetic is probably related to hypertension and lipid abnormalities. Increased mortality from abnormal glycaemic control needs to be evaluated further.

Diabetic microvasculopathy: the renal-retinal link.

Manifestations of diabetic microvasculopathy are protean. Graded increases in the severity are recognised in both nephropathy and retinopathy. This study was undertaken with 100 patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus to evaluate how far these graded increments could be linked at each stage and in each patient. The renal parameters studied were the various accepted levels of albuminuria; the retinopathy parameters ranged from normal retina to severe proliferative stages. Corresponding grades were proposed and altered, if required, to reach the best possible correlation. The correlation was attempted though the common link of mean glomerular filtation rates at each level and the concordance of either parameter grade in an individual patient. The correlations of the mean glomerular filtration rate for all propositions of severity were significant. However, there was significant variability of the parameters in an individual patient. This was more with less severe grades but diminished with increased duration. The predictive value of one lesion for the other was low in cases with shorter duration and less severe grades. Probably, shorter duration patients have an interplay of both genetic factors and the assault of the risk factors while in longer duration patients the cumulative risk exposure play the dominant role.

Foetomaternal complications in pregnancies with diabetes mellitus: association with the amount of insulin requirement, mean terminal blood glucose and HbA1C levels.

Pregnancy hyperglycaemia can lead to foetomaternal complications. Normoglycaemia with exercise, diet and/or insulin can alter outcomes. The insulin requirement itself may alter outcomes independently. Two hundred and forty patients of pregnancy with diabetes mellitus were selected of which 176 belonged to gestational diabetes mellitus and 64 pregestational diabetes mellitus groups. Insulin requirement of pregestational diabetes mellitus group was 1.8 times higher than the gestational diabetes mellitus group. There were no insulin related increased complications in either group. The foetal complications were higher in pregestational diabetes mellitus group (62.5%) than in the gestational diabetes mellitus group (27.3 and 40% in < 15 units or > or = 15 units insulin requirement respectively). The terminal glycaemic parameters (fasting plasma glucose, 2 hours postprandial plasma glucose, HbA1C%) were not different in case of gestational diabetes mellitus between those with and without foetal complications, except for fasting plasma glucose where 'with complications' fasting plasma glucose was lower than without (79.4 +/- 13.14 versus 75.28 +/- 3.68 mg/dl). For pregestational diabetes mellitus patients those without complications had a significantly lower level of all the parameters (fasting plasma glucose 69.75 +/- 0.5 versus 122 +/- 14.14 mg/dl, postprandial plasma glucose 95 +/- 7.4 versus 131.5 +/- 12.02 mg/dl; HbA1C 6.8 +/- 0.28 versus 7.3 +/- 3.6%) compared with those having complications. Maternal complications could not be segregated as all the subgroups had a very incidence of caesarean section (60%-100%). However, when lower segment caesarean section was excluded and maternal complications segregated, for gestational diabetes mellitus patients, only fasting plasma glucose was significantly lower in cases without complications while in pregestational diabetes mellitus patients the fasting plasma glucose as well as HbA1C were significantly lower in cases without complications.

Association of diabetic maculopathy with diabetic nephropathy--a study.

A total number of 100 patients were examined over a period of one year to find out any correlation between diabetic maculopathy and diabetic nephropathy. Twenty-two belonged to insulin dependent diabetes mellitus group and 78 patients were in the non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus group who were suffering from diabetes over a period of 0-25 years and more. Another group comprising 6 patients were chosen from these 100 patients who were suffering from nephropathy diagnosed clinically and on pathological investigations. Background and proliferative--both types of diabetic retinopathy were found with increased incidence with the persistence of the disease in both types of diabetes mellitus. Nine patients had diabetic maculopathy, out of which 6 patients (66.66%) were suffering from diabetic nephropathy. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is more common in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus than in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus of more than 25 years of duration. Maculopathy is more common in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and there is strong correlation between diabetic maculopathy and diabetic nephropathy.