Diabetic Retinopathy

Source: diabetes.about.com --- 24 days ago
Diabetic Retinopathy is a complication of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. It occurs when blood glucose levels are too high for a long period of time. Changes occur in the tiny blood vessels that supply the retina of the eye. If Retinopathy is not treated it can lead to blindness. ...

Source: diabetes.about.com --- 27 days ago
According to a press release from JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), the number of cases of Diabetic Retinopathy diagnosed in the U.S. may rise to 16 million by... ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 34 days ago
Related Articles Emerging drugs for Diabetic Retinopathy. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs. 2008 Dec;13(4):675-694 Authors: Mohamed Q, Wong TY Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is prevalent even among "well controlled" diabetics, and remains the commonest cause of visual loss in working age adults. Current evidence based treatments, including intensive glycemic and hypertensive control and laser photocoagulation, rarely improves visual outcomes in those with established DR. There has been an increasing focus on the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in DR, and targeted therapeutic interventions to temper their damaging effects. Methods: We review potential targets and emerging therapies for DR, including treatments currently in clinical trials. Results: Emerging therapies including inhibition of aldose reductase/polyol pathway, non-enzymatic glycation/advanced glycated end products inhibitors, protein kinase C inhibitors, and reduction of oxidative stress/superoxide induced damage. Newer drugs modulating growth factor and cytokine production (including VEGF, TNF and cytokines such as NF-kB) and newer targeted therapeutics utilising antisense oligonucleotides, and small interfering RNAs are also currently in clinical trials. Conclusions: Emerging treatments, possibly used in combination with standard therapy, offer the hope of effective and safe treatment that may allow us to improve visual outcomes and prevent the damaging consequences of DR. PMI ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 12 days ago
Related Articles Multiple retinal haemorrhages in Diabetic Retinopathy after adjunctive intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) with pars plana vitrectomy. Acta Ophthalmol. 2008 Nov;86(7):812-3 Authors: Lee CS, Koh HJ PMID: 18093262 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ...

Source: www.medscape.com --- 15 days ago
Diabetic Retinopathy occurs earlier in type 1 diabetics when beta-cell function is undetectable within 10 years of disease onset, Japanese researchers report. Reuters Health Information ...

Source: toledoonthemove.com --- 28 days ago
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control estimate that from that in the next 45 years the number of cases will be three times higher ...

Source: us.rd.yahoo.com --- 28 days ago
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The number of Americans with Diabetic Retinopathy is expected to increase from 5.5 million to 16 million by the year 2050, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. ...

Source: diabetes.about.com --- 24 days ago
Diabetic Retinopathy is a complication of diabetes. Between 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness every year are attributed to diabetes. What is Retinopathy? Can it be prevented? What do you need to know? ...

Source: www.moreover.com --- 21 days ago
Demand for services related to cataract, glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy, and macular degeneration will increase as the U.S. population shifts and ages. ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 35 days ago
Related Articles [An updated review of methods for human retinal oximetry measurements and current applications] Harefuah. 2008 Oct;147(10):812-7, 836 Authors: Ben-Zion I, Harris A, Weizman Y, Ehrlich R, Rechtman E The concept of retinal oximetry is based on physical properties that have been recognized since the 18th century. Attempts to non-invasively quantify the oxygen saturation of blood within the retinal vasculature date back to the 1950's. There are different techniques in existence for the measurement of retinal oxygenation, the leading ones are: photographic, digital, spectroscopy and the pulse methods. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Current data from studies on retinal oximetry is presented, for both the healthy retina and in diseases such as glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. It is clear that a thorough understanding of retinal oxygen tension is vital to our understanding of normal retinal physiology and the pathophysiology of degenerative eye diseases. PMID: 19039914 [PubMed - in process] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 15 days ago
Related Articles Correlation between microaneurysms and retinal thickness in Diabetic macular edema. Retina. 2008 Oct;28(8):1097-103 Authors: Blair NP, Shahidi M, Lai WW, Zelkha R PURPOSE: Microaneurysms commonly are believed to be related causally to retinal thickening in Diabetic Retinopathy, especially by leaking. The hypothesis that thicker areas of retina in Diabetic Retinopathy have more microaneurysms per unit area than areas that are not as thick was tested. METHODS: Retinal thickness analysis was performed with a prototype instrument for 27 eyes of 27 Diabetic patients and 22 normal eyes of 22 healthy subjects. Maps of retinal thickness were created, and microaneurysms were counted in zones having four levels of retinal thickness. RESULTS: There was no increase in either total microaneurysms or apparent leaking microaneurysms per unit area with increasing levels of retinal thickness (P = 0.77 and 0.87, respectively). CONCLUSION: Some microaneurysms may not cause thickening, or other factors may contribute to retinal thickening in Diabetic Retinopathy. The results may have implications on the pathogenesis of Diabetic macular edema. PMID: 18779716 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 20 days ago
Related Articles Current status of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy in Europe. Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2008 Nov-Dec;52(6):433-9 Authors: Wolf S Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important modulator of angiogenesis, and has been implicated in the pathology of a number of conditions, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Diabetic Retinopathy, and cancer. AMD is a progressive disease of the macula and the third major cause of blindness worldwide. If not treated appropriately, AMD can progress rapidly, causing legal blindness within months of the second eye becoming affected. Until recently, the treatment options for AMD have been limited, with photodynamic therapy (PDT) the mainstay treatment. Although PDT is effective at slowing disease progression, it rarely results in improved vision. Pegaptanib and ranibizumab are both anti-VEGF therapies licensed for the treatment of neovascular AMD in Europe; however, these drugs are not yet available in Japan. This article reviews the available clinical data on anti-VEGF therapies for the treatment of neovascular AMD in Europe, and considers the future of this exciting therapy. PMID: 19089562 [PubMed - in process] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 47 days ago
Teleophthalmology screening for Diabetic Retinopathy through mobile imaging units within Canada. Can J Ophthalmol. 2008 Dec;43(6):658-668 Authors: Boucher MC, Desroches G, Garcia-Salinas R, Kherani A, Maberley D, Olivier S, Oh M, Stockl F Background: This study aimed to describe and measure the health results of a Category 3 teleophthalmology screening project for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). Implemented through mobile screening imaging units located within pharmacies, the project had the goal of reaching unscreened Diabetic patients in urban communities while lowering barriers to screening and saving medical resources.Methods: Image capture of both eyes of 3505 known Diabetic individuals was performed in the provinces of Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. A photographer performed fundus imaging, and a nurse used mild pupil dilation only when necessary to secure image quality. Screening was provided free of cost in the context of DR health days for DR screening. Through teleophthalmology, ophthalmologists proceeded with data and image interpretation, and timely referral when indicated.Results: This project allowed the resumption of screening of over 38% of the cohort of known diabetics who reported never having undergone any eye examination with pupil dilation, and an additional 30% who reported not having been examined for over 2 years. All known diabetics were under the care of a general physician, and the ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 83 days ago
Related Articles MEDICARE EXPENDITURES ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES AND Diabetic Retinopathy. Retina. 2008 Oct 9; Authors: Schmier JK, Covert DW, Lau EC, Matthews GP BACKGROUND:: To estimate the expenditures for Diabetic Retinopathy in the United States by Medicare. METHODS:: Retrospective data analysis using the 1997 through 2004 5% Medicare claims data. A case control design was used; eligible beneficiaries were 65 or older and without major ophthalmic conditions (cataract, cataract surgery, and macular degeneration) during the study period. Controls had diabetes but no evidence of Diabetic Retinopathy. There were two Diabetic Retinopathy case groups: beneficiaries with nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR) and beneficiaries with proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR). Analyses quantified annual Medicare payments for case and control groups. RESULTS:: A total of 178,383 controls, 33,735 NPDR cases, and 6,138 PDR cases were identified. After adjusting for age, sex, and race, annual average Medicare payments for all care were significantly higher for case groups compared to the control group, as were average payments for ophthalmic care only (all P < 0.0001). In addition, average payments for all care and for ophthalmic care were substantially higher for PDR cases compared to NPDR cases. CONCLUSION:: These findings demonstrate substantial expenditures associated with Diabetic Retinopathy, and with PDR in particular, only part of ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 75 days ago
Related Articles The role of advanced oxidation protein products and total thiols in Diabetic Retinopathy. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2008 Sep-Oct;18(5):792-8 Authors: Baskol G, Gumus K, Oner A, Arda H, Karakucuk S PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the role of protein peroxidation by detecting the serum levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), a novel marker for the degree of oxidative damage to proteins, and total thiol as a marker of antioxidant status in Diabetic patients with or without Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and to compare the results with those of control subjects. METHODS: The study groups consisted of two separate subgroups: 1) 37 patients (14 male, 23 female) with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) showing Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and 2) 20 patients with NIDDM and without any signs of DR (9 male, 11 female); 26 healthy non-Diabetic control subjects (15 male, 11 female) were selected from the patients attending our department for refractive disorders. Venous blood samples of all participants were collected in the morning after an overnight fast, and serum samples storedat -70 degrees C until assay for AOPP, and total thiol. RESULTS: AOPP levels were significantly higher in Diabetic patients with (210.9+/-73.0 micronmol/L) or without DR (222.7+/-94.4 micronmol/L) when compared to those of controls (152.4+/-72.04 micronmol/L) (p=0.004). Even though the difference was not statistically significant (p=0. ...

Source: www.medscape.com --- 97 days ago
Despite meeting none of the primary endpoints in the 3 studies in Diabetic Retinopathy, candesartan could still be considered a treatment option in certain patients with this condition. Medscape Medical News ...

Source: www.ajc.com --- 27 days ago
The number of Americans who could lose their vision to diabetes-related eye diseases is going to skyrocket over the next four decades, with elderly Hispanics and blacks hit hardest because of higher rates of Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report projects that the number of adults 40 and older with Diabetic Retinopathy — the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults — will reach 16 million in 2050, up from 5.5 million in 2005. An advanced form of the disease will affect 3.4 million people in 2050, almost triple the 1.2 million affected in 2005. The report was published on Tuesday in The Archives of Opthalmology. ...

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com --- 1 day ago
With a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicting that Diabetic Retinopathy will triple from 5.5 million in 2005 to 16 million in 2050, improved treatments are urgently needed for this leading cause of blindness in working-age people. The CDC study is the latest indicator of a world-wide diabetes epidemic that is motivating ophthalmic research around the globe. ...

Source: www.udel.edu --- 84 days ago
By Patrice E. Fort, Pennsylvania State University. October 22, 4:00pm. ...

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com --- 67 days ago
As one of the most common chronic conditions, diabetes affects nearly 24 million Americans and occurs when the body fails to process sugar correctly. Left untreated, diabetes can affect one's vision, in some cases even causing blindness, due to changes in the blood vessels of the retina. Almost 41% of adults aged 40 and older with diabetes have an eye disease that is known as Diabetic Retinopathy. ...