Risk factors for micro- an macroangiopathic complications in type 2 diabetes: Lack of association with acetylator phenotype, chlorpropamide alcohol flush and ABO and Rh blood groups

Genetic markers would be useful to study the transmission of type 2 diabetes and to identify patients with enhanced risk of development of late diabetic complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of selected possible genetic markers on the development of diabetic complications. One hundred and eighty patients with type 2 diabetes (79 males, 101 females) were therefore studied with respect to ABO and Rh blood grouping and chlorpropamide alcohol flush (CPAF) and acetylator phenotype status, in addition to life style (smoking, dietary, alcohol and drug taking habits) and metabolic indexes (HbA1, M-value, serum cholesterol, serum tryglycerides), with regard to late complications coronary heart disease (CHD), arterial hypertension (AH), peripheral vascular disorders (PVD), retinopathy and nephropathy. None of the genetic markers considered appeared to be associated with diabetic complications. Multiple logistic analysis identified different risk-factors for each complication: AH and age for CHD; hyperlipidaemia for AH; age of patients for PVD; duration of diabetes for retinopathy; AH for nephropathy. It is concluded that the possible genetic markers evaluated in this study do not identify a higher or lower risk for late complications. On the contrary, most of the risk factors identified support previous studies. Active correction of these risk-factors might improve the overall prognosis of patients with type 2 diabetes.