title: Diabetic retinopathy and microalbuminuria in lean type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Relationship between microalbuminuria and diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus has been described. Patients with lean type 2 diabetes mellitus has some difference of insulin secretion and action in comparison with obese type 2 diabetes mellitus and there are evidences to support that lean type 2 diabetes mellitus is slow emerging type 1 diabetes mellitus in our population. The aim of this study is to find out correlation between retinopathy and microalbuminuria in lean type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty two patients with lean type 2 diabetes mellitus (BMI < 18.5 Kg/M2) were selected. Diabetic retinopathy was observed in 25 patients only. Blood glucose sample was taken after 10 hours of overnight fasting. Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured by calorimetric method and urinary albumin was estimated in morning urine saniple by Micral II test strip.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with diabetic retinopathy had longer duration of diabetes detected than those with normal fundus but the difference was statistically insignificant. Fasting blood glucose greater than 200 mg/dl was found in 63.6% of patients with diabetic retinopathy and in 36.4% of patients with normal fundus but the difference was insiginificant. Patients with diabetic retinopathy had microalbuminuria test positive and level was significantly higher in patients with proliferative retinopathy than in patients with background retinopathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microalbuminuria is associated with diabetic retinopathy in lean type 2 diabetes mellitus. Increase in urinary albumin excretion correlates with development of proliferative diabetic retinopathy in lean type 2 diabetes mellitus similar to type 1 and type 2 diabetes niellitus. This study emphasizes that microalbuminuria estimated by semi quantitative method is a cost effective and reliable marker of diabetic retinopathy in lean type 2 diabetes mellitus and high level of this may serve as an indicator of proliferative retinopathy in them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Ophthalmology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Behre
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index