LIPID PROFILES AND BLOOD-PRESSURE - ARE THEY RISK-FACTORS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY BACKGROUND RETINOPATHY AND INCIPIENT NEPHROPATHY IN CHILDREN WITH INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS

The objective of this study is to examine the influence of lipid profi les and blood pressure on the development of microvascular complicatio ns in adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in a matched pairs study. Patients with early background retinopathy (n=21 ) or microalbuminuria (n=15) and their respective statistical twins pa rticipated in the study. Serum total cholesterol, high-density lipopro tein (HDL) cholesterol, fasting triglycerides, glycosylated haemoglobi n A(1c) (Hb A(1c)), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure during 3 years prior to the development of early background retinopathy or inc ipient nephropathy were examined. The multivariate discriminant analys is demonstrated glycaemic control and HDL cholesterol to be the most i mportant variables related to the development of retinal lesions (84% correctness), and diastolic blood pressure to be associated with micro albuminuria (57% correctness). In addition to poor glycaemic control, different factors seem to be important for the early retinal or renal lesions of juvenile IDDM.