Interrelation of retinopathy with peripheral neuropathy in diabetes mellitus

Context: Retinopathy and neuropathy are two most important complications of diabetes mellitus. As both the complications are dealt by two different medical fraternities, a better understanding of the association between the two will help us in its early management and prevention. Aim: To study the association of various risk factors with diabetic retinopathy and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and to find out the association of prevalence of retinopathy with neuropathy. Settings and Design: Prospective study. Materials and Methods: The cases were selected from ophthalmology outdoor, eye camps, specialty camps, and multispecialty camps. Detailed history and relevant investigations were done. Patients underwent comprehensive ocular examination by ophthalmologist and neurological examination by physiotherapist. Results: Of the 100 patients having Type 2 diabetes for more than 5 years duration, 58% were males. Twenty-seven percent cases had retinopathy and 56% cases had peripheral neuropathy. DPN was seen approximately 2 times more than retinopathy. The occurrence of retinopathy in patients with mild (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] <7%) and moderate (HbA1c between 7% and 10%) deranged blood sugar was 19.0% and 67%, respectively, and peripheral neuropathy 64% and 83%, respectively. Among the uncontrolled cases, 32% had retinopathy and 68% had peripheral neuropathy. The prevalence of retinopathy increased 2.75 times in patients with neuropathy (37%) than in patients without peripheral neuropathy (14%). Conclusion: We found a higher prevalence of retinopathy in patients with neuropathy and thus a lookout for peripheral neuropathy should be kept in diabetics presenting to us with retinopathy.