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Diabetic retinopathy

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Retinopathy - diabetic

Treatment:

The goal of treatment is to control your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. 

Treatment, however, usually does not reverse existing damage, but will keep the disease from getting worse.  Drugs that keep abnormal blood vessels from growing in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy are under development.

Laser surgery may be used to keep vessels from leaking or to get rid of abnormal fragile vessels.

A surgical procedure called vitrectomy is used when there is bleeding (hemorrhage) into the eye. It may also be used to repair retinal detachment .

Support Groups:

American Diabetes Association - www.diabetes.org

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse - www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov

Prevent Blindness America - www.preventblindness.org

Expectations (prognosis):

Patients who have good control of their blood sugar and blood pressure may improve their outcomes.

Diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness without treatment.

Complications:

• Glaucoma
• Retinal detachment
• Blindness

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) if you have diabetes and you have not seen an ophthalmologist in the past year.

References:

Sydorova M, Lee MS. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Levels in Vitreous and Serum of Patients with either Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy or Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy. Ophthalmic Res . 2005 Jun 29;37(4):188-190.

Singerman L. Findings of the Phase 2 Trial of the Safety and Efficacy of Pegaptanib Sodium (Macugen™) in Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema.  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2005;46: E-Abstract 4674.

Rosenblatt RJ, Benson WJ. Diabetic Retinopathy. In: Yanoff M, ed. Opthalmology . 2nd ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2004;877-887.

• Review Date: 8/11/2005
• Reviewed By: Edward B. Feinberg, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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