Through the study of blood parameters such as viscosity and other hemorrhal factors, researchers managed to relate them and, through statistical models, predict the risk of the appearance of certain injuries in diabetic patients.Diabetes affects between 2 and 6 people in 100, and causes vascular complications that compromise the quality of life of people who suffer from it.

Knowing early alert signs is key to monitoring the risk of a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus of suffering injuries that compromise their quality of life.To do this, researchers evaluated the predictive capacity of different parameters of blood behavior through statistical studies.In this way, they managed to associate the viscosity values ​​(fibrinogenemia) of the patient's blood with the probability of developing in the future injuries in the retina and skin.

“Hemorrhology is the study of blood flow.We study the behavior of blood inside the blood vessel taking into account certain rheological properties.These have to do with how red blood cells behave, how they decay when the circulation becomes slower, they also have to do with the viscosity of the plasma, among other elements, ”he explained to Argentina investigates Larisa Carrera, a teacher and researcher at the Facultyof medical sciences.

Putting a statistically significant link between hemorrhological characteristics and the development of injuries has clinical utility."To a diabetic patient who presents all these parameters committed, we can follow him more closely to intervene early," said the specialist.

The work

The scientists selected two specific parameters to measure in the blood to assess whether they had a significant link with retinal damage and skin.Thus, they analyzed samples of diabetic patients with and without injuries to measure fibrinogenemia (blood viscosity) and erythrocyte aggregation (the way in which red blood cells decay)."It is known that these parameters in the diabetics are committed, -said career -, which is not yet clarified is what degree of relationship has this type of alteration in the development of clinical complications."

Through different statistical models, researchers were able to highlight the link between blood parameters and the risk of injuries."These models point to the combination of different parameters that lead us to think that when they commit themselves, the patient in the short term can develop skin or retina injuries," he said.“These are not complex measurements, but they are not those that are performed on routine in patients with diabetes.In the case of fibrinogenemia, for example, it is a technique that is standardized and can be done in any laboratory, ”he said.

The disease

Between two and six people of every hundred suffer diabetes mellitus.It is a chronic metabolic disorder, characterized by persistently high levels of blood glucose and caused by an alteration in insulin secretion or action.The main symptoms of diabetes mellitus are: excessive urine emission (polyuria), abnormal increase in the need to eat (polyphia), increased thirst (polydipsia), and weight loss without apparent reason.This condition causes various complications, frequently damaging eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels, its acute complications are a consequence of inappropriate control of the disease, while its chronic complications are a consequence of the progress of the disease.

Regarding circulation, micro and macrovascular complications linked to this pathology compromise thequality of life of affected people."In the retina, when blood flow is affected, you can determine an obstruction at the level of small vessels and that makes the contribution of oxygen to the tissues decrease and, as a consequence, the lesions that are very characteristic appear," said Carrera.

In turn, diabetes is associated with leather injuries, for the commitment of circulation in small vessels, "especially in territories such as lower limbs," he said.The research project, framed in the courses of action for the research and development of the university, has the advice and collaboration of researchers from the Faculties of Medical Sciences of the National University of the Coast and the National University of Rosario,as well as with researchers from the Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Rosario.