Correlation of lens thickness with blood glucose control in diabetes mellitus.

The aim of this study was to verify if lens thickness in insulin-dependent diabetic patients is greater than in non-diabetics, and to establish which parameters affect the thickness of the lens age, diabetes duration, glycaemic control, insulin dose. Ultrasound biometry and blood glucose measurements were taken in 87 patients three times a day: fasting 2 and 4 h after lunch. The patient sample was divided into three groups: 30 with no retinopathy, 30 presented background retinopathy and 27 with proliferative retinopathy; 30 normal subjects with a similar age to the diabetic group, comprised the control group. No correlation was found between biometric values and blood glucose in the three groups (p < 0.05). A significant difference in lens thickness was found in the four groups, even after adjusting for age (p < 0.05). Significant differences in lens thickness were seen between proliferative retinopathy and the other groups, after adjusting for age and duration of diabetes (p < 0.05); lens thickness was shown to correlate with diabetes duration (p < 0.05).