Journal of Research in Medical Education & Ethics

  • Year: 2015
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue: 3

Association of Lipid Profile with Severity of Retinopathy in Patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus

1Postgraduate Student, Department of Biochemistry, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India

2Professor and Head, Department of Ophthalmology, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences, Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Tamil Nadu, India

3Professor and Head, Department of Biochemistry, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of visual morbidity. Duration of diabetes, hypertension and poor glycaemic control are known risk factors for retinopathy. However, the role of dyslipidemia is less clear as various studies give conflicting results.

To determine the association of serum lipids with retinopathy in patients with type2 diabetes mellitus.

This was a cross-sectional study conducted on patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus presenting to the ophthalmology outpatient department.

About 100 patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus with a normal BMI were examined for retinopathy. The patients were divided into diabetics without retinopathy, mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), moderate NPDR and severe NPDR. HbA1c, fasting blood glucose and fasting lipid profile were evaluated.

Descriptive statistics were followed by an unpaired t-test to compare the groups. Pearson's test was used to assess the nature of correlation between the study population and variables. A p value of <0.05 was considered significant.

Age, duration of diabetes, systolic and diastolic blood pressure correlated significantly with severity of retinopathy. Laboratory parameters showing a significant correlation with severity of retinopathy were fasting blood sugar= 0.480 (p<0.001, glycated haemoglobin r= 0.460 (p<0.001), triglycerides r= 0.279 (p= 0.005), total cholesterol r= 0.246 (p=0.014), LDL, r= 0.238 (p=0.017) and VLDL, r= 0.292 (P= 0.003). HDL correlated negatively with retinopathy (r= “0.038) but was not significant.

Serum lipids excepting HDL were found to have a significant correlation with the presence of and severity of diabetic retinopathy.

Keywords

Lipids, Diabetic retinopathy, Visual morbidity, Lipid profile, Microvascular complications