Ophthalmology

Researchers study retinopathy as possible indicator of nephropathy… The number of diabetes mellitus cases is on the rise while the incidence of end-stage kidney disease from diabetes has decreased over the years. However, diabetes remains the main cause of end-stage kidney disease in the United States and other countries. There …

The difference between low and high ankle-brachial index can be indicator for diabetic retinopathy… Patients with diabetes are at a greater risk for peripheral artery disease caused by atherosclerosis. Previous studies showed that many diabetic patients who received an amputation had peripheral artery disease. The ankle-brachial index is used as …

Protection of visual function may signal disruption of mechanisms underlying diabetic retinopathy (DR)… This was a 6-month randomized, controlled clinical trial of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes with no retinopathy or mild to moderate non-proliferative retinopathy assigned to twice-daily consumption of placebo or a novel, multi-component formula …

Patients taking metformin during a 10-year study had a 25% reduced risk of developing glaucoma… The researchers hypothesized that a drug that mimics caloric restriction, such as metformin, might reduce the risk of glaucoma, said Julia Richards, lead researcher and ophthalmology professor at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Richards …

David Levy, MD, FRCP      Cataract Diabetes is a strong risk factor for cataract, and it occurs earlier and progresses faster than in the non-diabetic population. Cortical cataract is the most frequent, with its typical radial spoke opacities. Indications for cataract surgery include impairment of vision that reduces quality of life, and …

David Levy, MD, FRCP      Pre-proliferative retinopathy An important diagnosis, as there is a very high risk of progression to proliferative retinopathy and significant visual loss. Pre-proliferative changes are characterized by the following. Multiple (> 5) cotton-wool spots. Multiple large blot hemorrhages. Venous abnormalities: irregularities, beading, looping or reduplication. Intraretinal microvascular abnormalities: …

David Levy, MD, FRCP      Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy Background retinopathy Microaneurysms Small, red, intraretinal lesions usually found at the posterior pole of the eye, around the disc and macula. They occur in areas of capillary non-perfusion and show leakage of fluorescein. It is worthwhile estimating the number of microaneurysms as it has …

David Levy, MD, FRCP      Introduction Diabetic retinopathy is the most common clinically significant microvascular complication of diabetes, but cataract is the most common ocular complication, with a prevalence of about 60% in those aged 30–54, five times more frequent than in those without diabetes. Diabetes is also associated with raised intraocular …

DR prevalence of DR higher in T1s; T2s have the major burden…. One of the microvascular complications of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is diabetic retinopathy (DR), which can cause blindness and low vision in this patient population along with other age-related eyes condition. Many screening programs have been …

Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) can predict incipient peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes… The technique involves the examination of unmyelinated nerve fibers at high magnification using a laser-scanning corneal confocal microscope to image the subbasal nerve plexus of the patient’s cornea. Increased severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy is …