The relation between diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy in individuals with type 2 diabetes

According to a recent study, diabetic retinopathy (DR) proved to be a reliable predictor of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Among individuals with DN, the DR severity correlated with glomerular damage, while the existence of KW nodules, reduced hemoglobin levels, and younger age were identified as independent risk factors linked to more severe DR. This research findings were published in the journal, Frontiers in Endocrinology.

A total of 272 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who underwent a renal biopsy were eligible for this study. The severity of DR was categorized as: non-diabetic retinopathy, non-proliferative retinopathy, and proliferative retinopathy (PDR). The aim of this research was to investigate the association between DN and DR, as well as to assess the diagnostic effectiveness of DR in detecting DN.

DN patients had a higher prevalence of DR (86.4%). Additionally, the severity of DR was higher in DN patients. The specificity and sensitivity of DR in DN were 78.8% and 86.4%, while that of PDR was 98.5% and 26.4%, respectively. In DN patients, it was observed that the severity of glomerular lesions increased significantly (p = 0.001), along with the prevalence of KW nodules (p<0.001), as the severity of DR increased. Independent risk factors associated with more severe DR in DN patients included the presence of KW nodules, lower hemoglobin levels, and younger age.

The above study showed that DR is a reliable marker for DN. Among those with DN, the severity of DR was found to be correlated with damage to the glomeruli. Additionally, the presence of KW nodules, lower hemoglobin levels, and younger age were recognized as independent risk factors that were associated with more severe DR.