Prediction of diabetic vascular complications by nerve conduction data.

We performed nerve conduction studies in order to study the ability of nerve conduction data to discriminate between patients with and without a given vascular complication (peripheral vascular disease, coronary disease and retinopathy). All data were processed by discriminant analysis. The nerve conduction studies could discriminate between patients with and without retinopathy, but could not discriminate between those with peripheral vascular disease and those with coronary disease. Our work supports the hypothesis that there is a common pathogenesis of nerve conduction and retinal changes.