Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major medical problem throughout the world. Diabetes
causes an array of long-term systemic complications that have considerable impact on the patient
as well as society, as the disease typically affects individuals in their most productive years.
Objective: To correlate Serum Prolactin levels in patients with Diabetic retinopathy.
METHODS: A total of 189 patients of diabetic retinopathy were enrolled in the study. Details of
their medical and personal history, viz. age at diagnosis of diabetes, duration of the diabetes,
nature and duration of treatment received, glycaemic control and compliance to the treatment were
obtained. The diabetic retinopathy status was classified according to the ETDRS classification
system. RESULTS: A mean HbA1C levels for each grade of DR: in Mild NPDR the HbA1c was
found to be 8.33%, Moderate NPDR was found to be 8.88%, severe NPDR the HbA1c was 9.92%
and for PDR the HbA1c was 11.01%. A mean Serum Prolactin levels for each grade of DR: in Mild
NPDR the serum prolactin levels was found to be 8.76ng/dl, Moderate NPDR 8.57ng/dl, for Severe
NPDR it was 7.28ng/dl, and it was 5.94ng/dl for PDR. A mean duration
of diabetes for each grade of DR: in mild NPDR the mean duration of diabetes was found to be
8.45yrs and in moderate NPDR it was 9.65yrs, whereas in severe NPDR group it was 11.75yrs
and for PDR group it was 12.58 years.
A significant correlation (p < 0.05) was also found between DR and the duration of diabetes as
increasing severity of NPDR and PDR were seen in patients who were diabetic for more than ten
years and statistically significant correlation was found between increasing severity of diabetic
retinopathy and the decreasing levels of serum prolactin.
CONCLUSION: A statistically significant correlation was found between increasing
severity of diabetic retinopathy and the decreasing levels of serum prolactin.