Assessing the time relevance of morbidity of diabetes mellitus towards morbidity of target organs

Aim Of this study was to investigate the correlation between the duration of morbidity of Diabetes Mellitus and the morbidity of target organs such as the kidney and retina.

Material-Method We examined the medical files of a representative sample of diabetic greek adults who attended the General Hospital of Goumenissa. Patients were from 42 till 78 years old (Mean Age: 68, S.D.:16). Mean duration of morbidity of Diabetes Mellitus was 6 years (S.D.: 3,6). It must be noticed that diseases of the kidney found among diabetic patients were diabetic nephropathy, polycystic kidneys, chronical glomerulonephritis and nephrolithiasis.

Results From 480 diabetic patients (168 men/312 women), only 24 (5%) (10men/14women) of the patients showed retinopathy mean duration of diabetic morbidity was 9 years. 38 (8%) (16men/22women) patients mean duration of Diabetes Mellitus 12,5 years demonstrated a nephropathy of some kind. In particular 28 patients (10men/18women) had diabetic nephropathy mean duration of D.M. was 15 years, 4 patients (0,8%) (2men/2 women) had polycystic kidneys mean duration of D.M. was 2 years, 2 male patients revealed chronical glomerulonephritis with mean duration of D.M. 7,75 years and 4 patients (0,8%) (2men/2women) suffered from nephrolithiasis.

Conclusions In this study we observed that retinopathy is a rare morbidity, but it is developed much earlier than diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is much more usual among diabetic patients but it is developed a much longer duration of morbidity of D.M.