Zeitschrift für klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie
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Is Routine Testing for Proteinuria Indicated in Diabetic Eye Clinics?

Navpreet Dhillon, Anuradha Jayaprakasam, Philip I. Murray and Samer El-Sherbiny

Purpose: The presence of albuminuria of ≥ 20 mg/dL, detectable on urine dipstick, represents significant early nephropathy requiring intervention. This study aimed to identify the incidence of previously undiagnosed renal impairment in patients attending a Diabetic Eye Clinic at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, which has a diverse social and ethnic catchment area.
Methods: An observational cohort audit was performed and a total of 42 consecutive patients’ urine samples were tested for albuminuria by dipstick.
Results: Albuminuria was found in 17/42 (40.5%) patients, but only 5 patients were aware of having renal impairment. In 10/17 (58.8%) patients General Practitioners (GP) were also unaware of the renal impairment. Patients with previously undiagnosed albuminuria tended to be younger, have a shorter duration of diabetes and have a higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Our results suggest that a significant proportion of patients attending diabetic eye clinics have renal impairment that is not known to their General Practitioners. Performing this quick and simple test in the clinic may aid early diagnosis and improve clinical care and prognostic outcomes.