Proteinuria and blood glucose levels in a population with diabetic retinopathy.

In a population-based study of all insulin-treated diabetic patients on the Swedish island of Gotland, we compared the prevalence and severity of retinopathy with those of nephropathy as measured by proteinuria and serum creatinine levels. Of 365 diabetic patients, 66 (18%) had proteinuria. Of these 66, 39 (59%) had retinopathy. Proteinuria and serum creatinine correlated with increasing severity of retinopathy (P less than .001). Of 47 patients with proliferative retinopathy, 19 (40%) had proteinuria. Of 124 patients with retinopathy of other grades of severity, 20 (16%) had proteinuria. Visual acuity in the best eye was negatively correlated to proteinuria, which was present in 17 of 203 (8.4%) patients with a visual acuity of 20/20, compared with eight of 15 (53%) of those with a visual acuity of 20/200 or less. Blood glucose, determined two hours postprandially, was satisfactory (less than 10 mmol/l) in 162 patients (44%), unsatisfactory (10 to 14 mmol/l) in 89 (24%), and poorly regulated (greater than 14 mmol/l) in 114 (31%). Increasing mean blood glucose correlated to retinopathy (P less than .05).