Articles related to DIABETIC EYE DISEASE (DED)

Explore how an eyecare practice scaled its services for diabetic patients, achieving a 5% growth in this segment and setting a model for patient-centered, profitable care.

An experimental drug called 32-134D shows promise in preventing or slowing vision loss in individuals with diabetes, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine. The study, which utilized mouse models, human retinal organoids, and eye cell lines, focused on proliferative diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, indicate that 32-134D reduced levels of a protein called HIF, which is responsible for diabetic retinal vascular disease. The drug was found to be safer than another HIF-targeting treatment under investigation. Dr. Akrit Sodhi, the author of the study, emphasizes the drug’s well-tolerated nature and its ability to effectively reduce HIF levels in diseased eyes. Elevated levels of HIF in the eyes lead to increased blood vessel production and leakage in the retina, contributing to vision loss. The researchers tested 32-134D on human retinal cell lines and observed a return to near-normal gene expression levels, halting the creation of new blood vessels and maintaining vascular integrity. The drug was also tested on mouse models, resulting in diminished HIF levels and inhibition of new blood vessel formation and leakage. Remarkably, the drug exhibited active levels in the retina […]

Participants should be better able to discuss anti-VEGF therapy outcomes in patients with moderate-severe and severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy after taking part in this educational activity with Drs. Susan Bressler, Mark Dunbar, and Ruth Weinstock, and understand the importance of prompt referral and early diagnosis to reduce or even prevent the vision-threatening complications of diabetes.

Except in cases when you are concerned about or have confirmed a diagnosis of DME, patients with moderate NPDR do not need to be sent to a retina specialist. Patients with moderate NPDR should also be examined every six to eight months since they run a 12% to 27% risk of developing PDR within a year. Finally, patients with severe NPDR are at a significant risk of disease progression and irreversible vision loss, have a 52% chance of acquiring PDR within a year, and are almost certainly dealing with neuropathy elsewhere.

After taking part in this educational activity, participants should be better equipped to recommend retina experts for immediate examination and preventative therapy for patients with suspected moderate to severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and investigate new information for stopping the progression and vision-threatening side effects of DR.

Although both devices were highly reliable in detecting signs of early diabetic retinopathy (DR), and the interrater reliability of DR stage between the devices was “almost perfect” in the 7 standard fields (7SF) and total gradable areas (TGA), the Clarus 700 (Zeiss) provided better visualization of the inferonasal field than the Daytona P200T (Optos).