Microalbuminuria and retinopathy in a diabetic population of Cameroon

Microalbuminuria and retinopathy was studied in a non-proteinuric diabetic population of Cameroon. Patients were enrolled on a consecutive basis in tw o referral hospitals in Yaounde. Retinopathy was evaluated by direct ophtha lmoscopy and biomicroscopy, and controlled by mydriatic fundus photography. Detection of microalbuminuria was carried out on an overnight urine sample using Micral II test (Boehringer Mannheim). Anthropometric and blood press ure measurements were done using validated methods. In 64 non-proteinuric d iabetic patients (9 IDDM and 55 NIDDM) aged 19-70 years with known duration of diabetes of 1-23 years, the prevalence of retinopathy was 37.5%. Microa lbuminuria was detected in 53.1% of patients. Microalbuminuria correlated w ith duration of diabetes, and blood pressure, retinopathy was positively co rrelated with age, and blood pressure. Retinopathy was not significantly as sociated with the known duration of diabetes. Retinopathy was found to be i ndependently associated with microalbuminuria (P < 0.001) and microalbuminu ria appeared to be a sensitive marker of retinopathy. The prevalence of ret inopathy and microalbuminuria in this population was high. Microalbuminuria and non-proliferative retinopathy are independently associated, and are bo th associated with increased blood pressure levels in the study population. As shown in previous studies microalbuminuria may also be a sensitive mark er of early diabetic retinopathy in African diabetic patients. (C) 1999 Pub lished by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.