Vascular complications in young Asian Indian patients with Type 1 diabetesmellitus

To determine the prevalence of micro vascular and macro vascular complicati ons in Asian Indian Type 1 diabetic subjects. There has been no major repor t on the prevalence of vascular complications in Type 1 diabetic patients i n India. This study was done in Type 1 diabetic patients, aged less than or equal to 20 years at diagnosis of diabetes (n = 617, M:F 322:295) with a m inimum of 3 year follow-up. Standard diagnostic methodologies were used to test for micro vascular and macro vascular complications of diabetes. Retin opathy was detected in 13.4% (background diabetic retinopathy 11.2%, prolif erative;diabetic retinopathy 1.9%, preproliferative 0.31%, maculopathy was seen in 13.3% of retinopathy cases), nephropathy in 7.1%, sensory neuropath y in 3.0%, ischaemic heart disease in 0.5% and peripheral vascular disease in 0.5% of the study subjects. Duration of diabetes showed positive associa tion with retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. Average glycosylated hae moglobin values, at follow up showed an association with retinopathy. Altho ugh the glycaemic control was suboptimal in the study group, prevalences of all complications, especially macro vascular complications were lower in T ype 1 diabetic patients in this ethnic group, in comparison with the Europe an or American counterparts. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rig hts reserved.