Obesity – risk factor for microvascuar and neuropatic complication in diabetes?

The aim of the study was to investigate whether obestiy, independently or associated with other risk factors, increases the risk for the diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy in type 2 diabetic persons. Data of 156 diabetic persons that have consecutively attended the Outpatient Department during two months period were studied. According to their body mass index (BMI) they were divided into three groups: group 1 (BMI  25 ; n=49), group 2 (BMI 26-29, 9 ; n=52) and group 3 (BMI  30 ; n=55). The three groups did not differ in age, duration of diabetes, treatment, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. With increase in BMI, we observed a significant deterioration of HbA1c and a significant increase in LDL-cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The prevalence of retinopathy increased significantly with higher body weight (p<0, 05), but also with correlation to quality of metabolic control (HbA1c) and systolic blood pressure. The increase of the prevalence of nephropathy and polyneuropathy was significantly and independantly related to the body weight (p<0, 01). Therefore, obesity is, independantly or in correlation to quality of metabolic control (HbA1c), systolic and diastolic blood pressure and LDL-cholesterol, risk factors for microvascular and neuropathic complications in diabetes.