Treatments Slow Diabetic Eye Progression
According to results from the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk
in Diabetes (ACCORD) study, two different therapies may lengthen the
time to develop an eye condition called diabetic retinopathy. This report
which occurred in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine
indicates that intensive blood sugar control compared with standard
blood sugar control reduced the progression of diabetic eye disease. A
3.1% reduction was observed. The study also indicated that the combined
use of fibrate and statin-type drugs, reduced progression. Treatment
results were evaluated over four years. Eye disease was detected
during the study either through photographs that confirmed blood vessel
changes or by the need for surgery to treat abnormal blood vessels.
Diabetic Retinopathy is steadily becoming one of the leading causes
of blindness in persons with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Blood vessels
in the eye become larger and tend to leak into the retina. New, fragile
blood vessels start to grow and sometimes bleed. This may lead to formation
of scars, which in turn causes blindness.