Visual function, blood pressure and blood glucose in diabetic patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Over the last five years, 46 insulin dependent diabetic patients (mean age 52 +/- 13 years) have been treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Fourteen patients have been on treatment for more than two years. Visual acuity assessed every six months showed that improvement has been observed in 14 eyes (19%), stabilisation in 36 eyes (46%), worsening in 17 eyes (21%), five eyes had a minimal function during the entire follow-up. Systolic blood pressure decreased from 173 +/- 42 mmHg at start of dialysis to 149 +/- 30 and 146 +/- 32 after one and two years. Mean fasting and post-prandial blood glucose assessed monthly in 36 patients treated with four daily intraperitoneal injections of insulin (660 determinations) were respectively 7.5 +/- 3.5 and 8.5 +/- 3.5mmol/L.