Serum uric acid levels are associated with increased risk of newly developed diabetic retinopathy among Japanese male patients with type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort study (diabetes distress and care registry at Tenri [DDCRT 13]).

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the prospective association between baseline serum uric acid levels and consequent risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data for 1839 type 2 diabetes patients without diabetic retinopathy were obtained from a Japanese diabetes registry. A Cox proportional hazards model with time-varying exposure information by sex was used and adjusted for potential confounders to assess the independent correlations between baseline serum uric acid levels and incidence rate of diabetic retinopathy.

RESULTS: Newly developed diabetic retinopathy was recognized in 188 patients (10.2%) during the observation period of 2 years. Compared to the first serum uric acid quartile level, the multivariate adjusted hazards ratio for diabetic retinopathy development in male patients was 1.97 (95% CI, 1.14-3.41; P = .015), 1.92 (95% CI, 1.18-3.13; P = .008), and 2.17 (95% CI, 1.40-3.37; P = .001) for the second, third, and fourth serum uric acid quartile levels, respectively. But this was not the case with female patients.

CONCLUSION: Higher serum uric acid levels were associated with increased risk of developing diabetic retinopathy in male patients with type 2 diabetes, but not in female patients. Serum uric acid may be a useful biomarker for predicting the future risk of developing diabetic retinopathy in male patients with type 2 diabetes.