Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy and Use of Common Oral Hypoglycemic Agents Increase the Risk of Diabetic Nephropathy—A Cross-Sectional Study in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the effect of amino acid metabolism on the risk of diabetic nephropathy under different conditions of the diabetic retinopathy, and the use of different oral hypoglycemic agents. Methods: This study retrieved 1031 patients with type 2 diabetes from the First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University in Jinzhou, which is located in Liaoning Province, China. We conducted a spearman correlation study between diabetic retinopathy and amino acids that have an impact on the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy. Logistic regression was used to analyze the changes of amino acid metabolism in different diabetic retinopathy conditions. Finally, the additive interaction between different drugs and diabetic retinopathy was explored. Results: It is showed that the protective effect of some amino acids on the risk of developing diabetic nephropathy is masked in diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, the additive effect of the combination of different drugs on the risk of diabetic nephropathy was greater than that of any one drug alone. Conclusions: We found that diabetic retinopathy patients have a higher risk of developing diabetic nephropathy than the general type 2 diabetes population. Additionally, the use of oral hypoglycemic agents can also increase the risk of diabetic nephropathy.