We screened 597 newly-diagnosed diabetic patients (201 women) mean +/- SD age 42.3 +/- 6.2 years to determine the prevalence of diabetic complications; 22% presented because of symptoms of diabetes, 27% were diagnosed when hyperglycaemia was discovered at a health screening, and 36% were diagnosed while being treated for intercurrent illness. Neuropathy was present in 25.1%, nephropathy in 29%, retinopathy in 15%, coronary vascular disease in 21%, stroke in 5.6%, peripheral vascular disease in 4.8%, hypertension in 23%, obesity in 16%, central obesity in 21.3%, hypercholesterolaemia in 11%, hypertriglyceridaemia in 14%, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in 12%. The prevalence of coronary vascular disease, hypertension, stroke, neuropathy and retinopathy at the time of diagnosis were higher in our patients than in Caucasian and Indo-Asian patients in the UK. Both a genetic predisposition to develop complications, and exposure to a longer duration of asymptomatic hyperglycaemia due to poor access to adequate health care, may contribute to the high frequency of complications at diagnosis. Since complications are already present at diagnosis, there is a case for implementing primary prevention programmes combined with screening for diabetes in high-risk groups.

It is recognized that diabetic patients with nephropathy frequently have macrovascular disease leaving them at risk of ischaemic foot lesions. In order to assess non-vascular risk factors for foot ulceration 64 patients were stratified into four groups: microalbuminuria, albuminuria with creatinine clearance greater than 40 ml min-1, chronic renal failure (clearance less than 40 ml min-1), and a non-nephropathic diabetic control group. Vibration perception threshold was measured by biothesiometry, peroneal nerve conduction velocity by conventional methods, and dynamic foot pressure by pedobarography. Vibration perception threshold was elevated in all three groups when compared with age-matched normal and diabetic control groups. Mean vibration perception threshold was 20.8 +/- 8.6 (+/- SD) in the microalbuminuria group (p less than 0.001 compared with age-matched normal control group), 28.1 +/- 5.6 (p less than 0.001) in the albuminuria group, 38.9 +/- 9.4 (p less than 0.001) in the renal failure group, 14.8 +/- 5.2 in the diabetic control group and 12.3 +/- 2.9 in the normal control group. Peroneal motor conduction velocity was reduced in all three groups when compared with normal control subjects, microalbuminuria 38.6 +/- 4.2 m s-1 (p less than 0.001), albuminuria 38.0 +/- 6.1 m s-1 (p less than 0.01), renal failure 35.5 +/- 1.2 m s-1 (p less than 0.001), diabetic control 40.6 +/- 1.8 m s-1, and normal 43.1 +/- 2.3 m s-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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This study confirms that a functional IJVV is present just above the termination of the internal jugular vein. The IJVV may therefore prevent reflux of venous blood from the right atrium into the internal jugular vein.

Summary:The prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus was studied in a suburban Sri Lankan community using 1985 WHO criteria. Oral 75 g glucose tolerance tests were performed on 633 subjects aged 30-64 years. The age-standardized prevalence rates for diabetes mellitus were 5.02 (95% CI 3.59-6.43) and impaired glucose tolerance 5.27 (95% CI 3.74-6.78). A total of 21% of diabetic patients were not known to have diabetes and were diagnosed for the first time during the survey. Obesity was more common (P<0.05) in diabetic patients (21%) when compared to non-diabetic subjects (10.5%). Diabetes mellitus is a common health problem in Sri Lanka, and there is a need for developing national policies for its prevention and control.