Pinguecula and diabetes mellitus

PURPOSE:: To assess the relationship between age and the incidence and severity of pinguecula in patients with diabetes mellitus, and to compare the grade of pinguecula between control subjects and patients with diabetes. METHODS:: A total of 160 patients with type 2 diabetes aged 31 to 70 years (DM group) and 160 control subjects aged 31 to 70 years (control group) were enrolled. The grade of pinguecula at 2 locations (nasal and temporal) was assessed in all subjects by a grading system. RESULTS:: There was an age-related increase in the grade of pinguecula in both the DM group (r = 0.52; P < 0.0001) and the control group (r = 0.51; P < 0.0001). The grade and prevalence of pinguecula were higher in the DM group than in the control group for pinguecula of the nasal conjunctiva (grade: P < 0.0001; and prevalence: 55.0% vs. 40.0%, P = 0.0072) and the temporal conjunctiva (grade: P < 0.0001; and prevalence: 54.4% vs. 40.0%, P = 0.0100). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age and diabetes were associated with an increased prevalence of nasal or temporal pinguecula (all P < 0.05). Diabetes mellitus was independently associated with the severity of pinguecula (nasal: odds ratio = 1.19; temporal: odds ratio = 1.22) after adjustment for age. CONCLUSIONS:: This is the first assessment of the relationship between pinguecula and diabetes mellitus. Our results suggest that diabetes mellitus may be a factor associated with the development of pinguecula.