CORRELATION OF LENS THICKNESS WITH BLOOD-GLUCOSE CONTROL IN DIABETES-MELLITUS

The aim of this study was to verify if lens thickness in insulin-depen dent diabetic patients is greater than in non-diabetics, and to establ ish which parameters affect the thickness of the lens age, diabetes du ration, glycaemic control, insulin dose. Ultrasound biometry and blood glucose measurements were taken in 87 patients three times a day: fas ting 2 and 4 h after lunch. The patient sample was divided into three groups: 30 with no retinopathy, 30 presented background retinopathy an d 27 with proliferative retinopathy; 30 normal subjects with a similar age to the diabetic group, comprised the control group. No correlatio n was found between biometric values and blood glucose in the three gr oups (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 retinop athy and the other groups, after adjusting for age and duration of dia betes (p < 0.05); lens thickness was shown to correlate with diabetes duration (p < 0.05).