[Correlation analysis between diabetic retinopathy and early atherosclerotic changes in adolescents with type 1 diabetes -- preliminary report].

Objective: Recent studies have shown a correlation between advanced diabetic retinopathy and late stages of atherosclerosis. There are no findings on a possible relation between diabetic retinopathy and diseases of the cardiovascular system at their earliest stage in young people with diabetes type 1. The purpose of the study was to analyze a correlation between diabetic retinopathy and early atherosclerotic changes in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Research design and methods: The study included 28 adolescents aged 17.6+/-1.4 years suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus for 7.9+/-3.1 years, the mean age of the disease onset - 9.5+/-3.7 years, a mean level of HbA1c - 8.6+/-1.9%. Eight patients with developing simple retinopathy, were separated from the whole group of young people. First control group consisted of the remaining patients with type 1 diabetes chosen with regard to age and sex, without disease complications. Second control group consisted of 11 healthy young people. The function of endothelium by measuring the brachial artery dilatation -- FMD and the intima-media complex thickness of the common carotid arteries were evaluated ultrasonographically.

Results: Young people with retinopathy had higher systolic pressure: 133+/-19 mmHg in comparison with patients without complications: 117+/-14 mmHg (p<0.05) and healthy people: 115+/-8 mmHg (p<0.05). All patients with diabetes showed significantly lower FMD (7.6+/-5.1%, p<0.05). In the group with retinopathy, FMD equaled 7.8+/-4.1% (p=0.04) and in the group without retinopathy - 7.6+/-5.5% (p<0.05) in comparison with 12.1+/-5.1% in healthy volunteers. Significantly higher IMT was found in all patients with diabetes in comparison with healthy young people: 0.49+/-0.06 vs. 0.42+/-0.03 mm (p<0.001). Patients with retinopathy had a significantly higher value of IMT in comparison not only with controls but also with patients without complications: 0.56+/-0.06 vs. 0.47+/-0.03 mm (p<0.001).

Conclusions: 1. Young people with type 1 diabetes had a significantly impaired function of endothelium and higher IMT in comparison with healthy young people. 2. Adolescents with retinopathy were characterized by significantly higher values of systolic arterial blood pressure when compared to patients without complications 3. Higher IMT was found in patients with diabetic retinopathy in comparison with patients without complications, which may suggest that macrovascular changes are more advanced in case of complications than in patients without retinopathy.