Eye disease is a serious complication of diabetes. In the United States, the leading cause of blindness among adults is diabetic retinopathy, according to Medline Plus. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common type of eye disease resulting from diabetes. It is caused by damage to the microscopic blood vessels running through the retina of the eye. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include blurred or double vision, floating dark or blank spots, difficulty seeing out of the corner of the eye and pain or pressure in the eye. Recently, researchers have uncovered medications that may slow the progression of diabetic eye disease.
Cholesterol Medications
A study released in the June 2010 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that a combination of two lipid therapy treatments used to control blood cholesterol levels, simvastatin and fenofibrate, slowed the progression of diabetic retinopathy by about one-third over a period of four years. Simvastatin lowers the levels of "bad" low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, in the blood. In contrast, fenofibrate acts by raising levels of "good" high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, and also lowers levels of triglycerides. Simvastatin had previously been shown to reduce progression of diabetic eye disease, and this study showed that the combination of simvastatin and fenofibrate works even better.
Blood Pressure Medications
Two blood pressure medications, enalapril, which is sold under the brand name Vasotec, and losartan, sold as Cozaar, reduced the progression of diabetic eye disease in greater than 65 percent of patients treated for a period of five years, according to a study published in the July 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. These medications act on the renin-angiotensin system, which regulates blood pressure and kidney function. Due to potential side effects of the drugs, more research needs to be done before they can be routinely prescribed to diabetic patients.
Steroids
Another study, published in the December 2009 issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, found an improvement in diabetic retinopathy after treatment with a drug called triamcinolone, which belongs to the class of corticosteroid drugs. After the drug was injected directly into the eyes of patients with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy did not progress as fast as that in patients who received a placebo. Doctors suspect the drug reduces the abnormal growth of new blood vessels that occurs in the retinas of people with diabetes. However, triamcinolone also increased risk of glaucoma and cataracts, which can also damage vision. As a result, triamcinolone requires more research before it can be used widely.
References
- National Institutes of Health News: NIH-Supported ACCORD Eye Study Finds Two Therapies Slow Diabetic Eye Disease Progression
- Reuters: Blood Pressure Drugs Slow Eye Problems in Diabetes
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: Steroid Injections May Slow Diabetes-Related Eye Disease
- Medline Plus: Diabetic Eye Problems
- National Eye Institute: Facts About Diabetic Retinopathy
