Chlorpropamide-alcohol flushing in non insulin-dependent diabetes: prevalence of small and large vessel disease and or risk factors for angiopathy.

One hundred and eight non insulin-dependent diabetics were tested for alcohol flushing after chlorpropamide administration (CPAF test). The overall prevalence of patients who flushed at the first challenge was 32%. However, nearly half of them still flushed after alcohol administration, when placebo was given instead of chlorpropamide, so that the prevalence of 'true' flushers was only 17%. Even though the distribution of retinal lesions was similar in 'true' flushers and in non flushers, severe loss of visual acuity was confined to the non flushers and aspecific flushers. The frequency of pathological ECG findings and of peripheral pulse reduction or abolition was significantly higher in the non flushers and aspecific flushers. Blood pressure, serum lipids and hemostatic parameters were similar in the two groups, and therefore do not explain the differences in prevalence of lesions. This study confirms the previous findings of a lower prevalence of large vessel lesions in flushers; however, the prevalence of 'true' CPAF phenomenon in our out-patient population appears to be much lower than previously reported.