The association of hyperlipidemia with retinopathy in diabetic patients aged 15-50 years in the county of Umeå.
OBJECTIVE
To study possible associations between serum lipid levels and degree of retinopathy in a population-based study on a specific age-group of patients with diabetes mellitus in the county of Umeå, Sweden.


METHODS
All patients with diabetes mellitus aged 15-50 years living in the county of Umeå were invited to the study. The participating subjects had a standard clinical examination and an eye examination performed. Seven-field stereoscopic photographs were taken of each eye, and the photos were sent to Grading Center, Hammersmith Hospital, London, U.K. for grading of the retinopathy. Blood samples were drawn for analysis of lipoprotein(a), high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, cholesterol and triglycerides. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed.


RESULTS
In the present study only patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus were included, and 285 of the invited 308 diabetic subjects (93%) took part. When univariate analysis was applied we found statistically significant associations between higher lipoprotein(a) levels, higher triglyceride levels, higher cholesterol levels, lower HDL cholesterol/total cholesterol ratios and increasing severeness of retinopathy. However, in the multivariate analysis triglyceride levels lost their importance while all other significant associations were still present.


CONCLUSIONS
Associations were found between higher levels of serum total cholesterol, declining ratios of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol/total cholesterol, higher levels of serum lipoprotein(a) and more severe retinopathy in diabetes mellitus type 1. No such association was found between serum triglycerides and degree of retinopathy.
Larsson
L I
LI
Department of Ophthalmology, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
Alm
A
A
Lithner
F
F
Dahlén
G
G
Bergström
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol