Of the 5999 subjects enumerated, 1414 subjects with diabetes (both known and newly diagnosed) were analyzed for the study. Among the diabetic subjects, 248 (17.5%) were newly diagnosed with diabetes and the remaining had history of diabetes. All subjects underwent a detailed standard evaluation to detect diabetic retinopathy (fundus photography), neuropathy (vibration pressure threshold), and nephropathy (microalbuminuria).
The prevalence of any form of microvascular complication was 30.2%(95%confidence interval [CI] = 24.5-35.9). The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 4.8%, and that of diabetic nephropathy and neuropathy was 10.5%. The risk factors for developing any form of microvascular complication were increasing age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.07, 95%CI = 1.04-1.11, P < .0001), increasing systolic blood pressure (OR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.01-1.06, P = .001), and increasing hemoglobin (OR = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.09-1.79, P = .011). The risk factors for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy were increasing systolic blood pressure (OR = 1.06 [P = .001] for retinopathy and OR = 1.04 [P = .012] for nephropathy) and increasing hemoglobin (OR = 2.20 [P = .007] for retinopathy and OR = 1.57 [P = .023] for nephropathy). The risk factor for diabetic neuropathy was increasing age (OR = 1.12, P < .0001).
Nearly one third of the newly diagnosed type II diabetes subjects had some form of microvascular complication; nephropathy, and neuropathy being commoner than retinopathy.