Optimal treatment of diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy (DRP) is a common complication caused by multiple biochemical abnormalities of the underlying metabolic disease. While the incidence of DRP appears to decline due to evidence-based changes in diabetes management, the predicted increase in patients affected in particular by type 2 diabetes may outweigh the positive trend. The diagnosis is based on the alterations of the vessels, usually indicating abnormalities of the blood-retinal barrier and increased vasoregression, but the neuroglial elements appear equally vulnerable to the diabetic condition. Control of blood glucose, blood pressure and timely identification of coincident nephropathy are important to prevent progression to vision-threatening stages. Guidelines give specific indications for laser photocoagulation, in particular when euglycemia is no longer effective in preventing progression to advanced stages. Intravitreal administration of antibodies directed against the single best characterized propagator of clinically significant macular edema, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), has become popular despite uncertainty about the patient subgroups which benefit best and the optimum administration schedule. Multifactorial intervention beyond glycemic control includes antihypertensive, lipid-lowering and antiaggregatory and is effective in type 2 diabetic patients with high-risk profiles, in particular coincident nephropathy.

Keywords: biomarkers; cardiovascular risk; diabetic retinopathy; treatment.

Figure 1.

Retinal digest preparation of a human diabetic retina showing acellular capillaries with pericyte ghosts (black arrowhead), acellular capillaries only with pericyte remainder (white arrowhead) and hypercellular microaneurysms (black arrow). Original magnification ×400.