Comparison of serum lipids and blood pressure in patients with and without diabetic retinopathy

Objective: To evaluate the serum lipids and blood pressure in patients with and without diabetic retinopathy. Subjects and Methods: A total of 200 subjects of both gender and age ranging 35 – 65 years, were recruited and divided into three groups. Group A include 100 healthy subjects as controls, group B include 50 diabetic subjects with no retinopathy and group C consists of 50 diabetic patients with retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was graded clinically by dilated Opthalmoscopic examination by a qualified ophthalmologist. In all study participants, we measured systolic and diastolic blood pressures along with serum lipid profile. Statistical analysis was performed using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: There significantly increased levels of serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C and VLDL among three groups (p<0.01) while HDL-C levels showed significant difference when compared to healthy control (p<0.05). Similarly, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures showed statistically significant higher values in DR and without DR groups as compared to control group (p< 0.01). Conclusion: We found significantly elevated blood pressure and dyslipidemia in diabetic retinopathy group. It is suggested that strict blood pressure monitoring along with glycemic and lipid control would be helpful in delaying the onset of complications.