Carotenemia, skin colour and diabetes mellitus

Summary

Carotenemia with its yellowish-red tint is found in diabetes. The frequency of this phenomenon is unknown and the relationship between skin colour and blood carotenoid level is controversial. Frequently the suspicion of diabetes arising from inspection of the skin colour is in fact confirmed by the usual laboratory tests. We decided to examine skin colour, blood carotenoids, cholesterol and total blood lipid levels in 51 overt diabetics, 42 latent diabetics and 25 healthy subjects as well as 14 patients who had recently suffered an acute myocardial infarction. The healthy subjects showed blood carotenoid levels slightly higher than the patients. As is known, in cases of increased intake of carotenoid-rich fruit and vegetables the yellowish-red skin colour is marked. Diabetic patients however show this phenomenon even though they may not follow such a diet. This finding, although diagnostically useful, does not usually parallel a high carotenoid blood level. From this point of view overt and latent diabetes are similar.