DOES THE PREPUBERTAL DURATION OF DIABETES INFLUENCE THE ONSET OF MICROVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS

This study investigated the relationship between the development of di abetic retinopathy and pubertal status at onset of diabetes in 521 Typ e 1 diabetic patients diagnosed between 1950 and 1985. Pubertal status was based on age at onset (girls greater than or equal to ll years an d boys greater than or equal to 12 years). Retinopathy (all forms) dev eloped in 112 patients (21.5 %; 65 background and 47 proliferative ret inopathy). For subjects diagnosed in either the prepubertal or postpub ertal period, a similar proportion survived without developing retinop athy for any given duration of diabetes (X(2) = 0.3822, P = 0.54). How ever, if only the postpubertal duration of diabetes is considered, the n the proportion of patients surviving without retinopathy was signifi cantly less for those diagnosed in the prepubertal period (X(2) = 14.2 , p = 0.002). This study suggests that the prepubertal duration of dia betes is an important phase and that the years prior to puberty do con tribute to the risk of developing microvascular injury.