ABSTRACT
[Objective]To explore the relationship between peripheral arterial disease(PAD)and diabetic retinopathy(DR)in type 2 diabetes patients.[Methods]A total of 99 patients diagnosed with PAD were classified into grade 1-3 by their total scores of peripheral arterial stenosis assessed by color doppler ultrasound examinations,where the degree of stenosis 30% ~ 49% scored 0, 50%~99%scored 1,lumen occlusion(i.e. degree of stenosis 100%)scored 2,and therefore the total score 0-2 was categorized into Grade 1 ,3~4 into Grade 2 ,5~12 into Grade 3. The bilateral anterior tibial artery ,posterior tibial artery and dorsalis pedis artery of these patients were analyzed. The presence of diabetic retinopathy(DR)was graded from retinal photographs using a standard protocol.[Results]Among 99 cases of type 2 diabetic patients with peripheral arterial disease ,58.6%of them were male with average age of 67.3 ± 7.9 years old. Patients of Grade 1,Grade2,Grade 3 lesion accounted for 45.4%,30.3%,24.2%,respectively. Age, gender,smoking history,SBP,DBP,BMI,FBG,TC,TG,LDL-C,HDL-C,HbA1C among 3 groups were not statistically signifi-cant. The associations of DM duration and HbA1C value were significantly larger in DR than in PAD. The proportion of DR patients increased with the severity degree of PAD(p for trend=0.004). Degree of stenosis Grade 2 and Grade 3 could be predictive for DR.[Conclusions]DR is associated with the severity degree of PAD in type 2 diabetes patients as evaluated by duplex ultrasonography.Degree of stenosis Grade 2 and 3 could be used for screening or finding DR. Strategies for optimum treatment and early prevention are needed.