Blood Pressure and Early Retinopathy in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes
Author Information
Author(s): Patricia Gallego, Maria E Craig, Stephen Hing, Kim C Donaghue
Primary Institution: Children’s Hospital at Westmead
Hypothesis
Blood pressure as a continuous variable is a predictor of early development of retinopathy in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
Conclusion
Higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure are predictors of retinopathy in adolescents with type 1 diabetes, independent of other risk factors.
Supporting Evidence
- 36% of participants developed retinopathy during the follow-up.
- Higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure were associated with increased risk of retinopathy.
- The study included a large cohort of adolescents followed for a median of four years.
Takeaway
If kids with type 1 diabetes have high blood pressure, they are more likely to get eye problems called retinopathy, even if their blood sugar is okay.
Methodology
This was a prospective cohort study involving 1869 adolescents with type 1 diabetes who were screened for retinopathy and followed for a median of 4.1 years.
Potential Biases
The physicians measuring blood pressure were not aware of the retinal status of the patients, which could introduce bias.
Limitations
The study used auscultation for blood pressure measurement, which may introduce variability.
Participant Demographics
1869 adolescents with type 1 diabetes, 54% female, median age 13.4 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
P=0.03 for systolic blood pressure and P=0.005 for diastolic blood pressure in relation to retinopathy risk.
Confidence Interval
1.01 (1.003 to 1.02) for systolic blood pressure and 1.01 (1.002 to 1.03) for diastolic blood pressure.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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