Diabetics can lose their vision from macular edema caused by diabetes mellitus in the eyes. The problem, which was previously treated with laser surgery, can now be treated medically with an injection in the eye.
The size of the problem is quite... big in our country, if one takes into account that in Greece about 700,000 people suffer from diabetes mellitus. According to studies, 20%-35% of diabetics develop macular edema after 15 years.
Diabetic macular edema, which until recently was treated with laser surgery, can now be treated pharmaceutically with an injection in the eye, which scientists say is well tolerated by the patient. Of course, the diabetic should not neglect to regulate his or her blood sugar, because the risk remains.
Study data presented at the EURETINA 2011 European Retina Conference, which concluded yesterday in London, showed that injections of ranibizumab for the treatment of diabetic macular edema improved vision in 90% of patients after one year of treatment, and in more than 60% there was a dramatic improvement in vision.
How is diabetic macular edema caused?;
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease of the large and small vessels in our body. In the eyes, this damage is carried out at the level of small vessels, which gradually lose their «tightness» and «patency». As a consequence, the retina of the eye develops edema (i.e. swelling). This leads to the formation of «swelling» in the area responsible for our sharp vision, the macula) and ischemia (i.e. insufficient oxygenation of the cells of the visual cornea, resulting in the formation of new abnormal vessels, which often bleed). The VEGF factor, which causes this vascular damage at the molecular level, is implicated in this condition. Macular edema, due to the increased permeability of the eye vessels caused by diabetes, is the main cause of blindness.
Do diabetics need to be checked by an ophthalmologist?;
«Diabetic macular edema is the most common complication of diabetes. Early diagnosis is of particular importance, so with the diagnosis of diabetes, vision should be checked and during the treatment of the condition there should be collaboration between an endocrinologist and an ophthalmologist. Diabetics should, once a year, go to an ophthalmologist to have their vision checked. Until recently, treatment was done with laser surgery. Today, there are new pharmaceutical treatments, with an injection in the eye that reduces macular edema,’ said Pericles Brazitikos, associate professor of ophthalmology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), on the sidelines of the EURETINA 2011 conference.
The therapeutic treatment
Until recently, the treatment of macular edema was based exclusively on laser photocoagulation. This method slowed down the loss of vision. Recently (January 2011), a biological agent, ranibizumab, which was the only approved treatment for solar macular degeneration, has been given positive approval by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of diabetic macular edema.
«Lasers were the only treatment. But studies showed that the effect was not so good. But more studies should be done. For a long time, however, lasers will be a complementary treatment to pharmaceuticals,» said, on the sidelines of the conference, the secretary general of the Hellenic Vitreoretinal Society, Efstratios Gozzarides.
Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Sydney, Paul Mitchell, in a speech from the podium at the conference, explained that laser photocoagulation is a procedure that is associated with stabilizing vision and preventing further vision loss for the majority of patients. At the same time, he pointed out that prior to the approval of ranibizumab, there was no approved drug therapy to improve visual acuity in patients with vision loss due to diabetic edema.
«The introduction of ranibizumab therapy into clinical practice will provide hospital physicians and patients with a new opportunity for rapid and significant improvement in vision, as well as vision-related quality of life,» added P. Mitchell.
«The use of ranibizumab either as monotherapy or in combination with laser therapy improved the vision of patients with diabetic macular edema,» said Ursula Schmidt, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Vienna, presenting the results of the “Resolve” and “Restore” studies.
(Information from APE-MPA)
enet.gr
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