Severe retinopathy and mild carbohydrate intolerance: possible role of insulin deficiency and elevated circulating growth hormone.

8 patients with severe progressive diabetic retinopathy despite continued mild carbohydrate intolerance on diet therapy alone were studied; each patient had presented initially with visual deterioration and none had experienced hyperglycaemic symptoms. By comparison with 8 carefully matched diet-treated diabetics without retinopathy, the retinopathy patients had increased circulating growth hormone levels and relative insulin deficiency. Several other factors of possible importance in the aetiology of microangiopathy, including circulating intermediary metabolites, platelet aggregation, blood viscosity, and lipids were similar in the two groups. It is possible that hypoinsulinaemia together with growth hormone excess may contribute to the development of eye disease in these patients with otherwise mild diabetes.