Seventy patients with non-
insulin dependent diabetes (NIDD) were studied for the
chlorpropamide-alcohol flush (
CPAF), first degree family history of diabetes, macroangiopathy and for
peripheral neuropathy. Positive
CPAF challenge tests were found in 65% of the tested subjects and in 77% if there was a family history of diabetes. Signs of macroangiopathy (loss of foot pulses) were significantly (p less than 0.05) less common in the
CPAF positive than in the
CPAF negative diabetics with a duration of diabetes of ten years or less. With a longer duration this difference between the two groups was reduced. Also signs of
peripheral neuropathy (abnormal vibration sense) were less common (p less than 0.05) in the
CPAF positive diabetics than in the
CPAF negative. Previously a low prevalence of retinopathy in teh
CPAF positive non-
insulin dependent diabetics has been reported. We have shown that this is also true of peripheral macroangiopathy and
peripheral neuropathy.
Chlorpropamide-alcohol flushing seems to be related to a relative protection against late complications in diabetes and the test might be used to find patients at risk.