DRCR.net researchers will continue to monitor the study participants for at least three years to obtain additional information about the safety and effectiveness
of these macular edema treatments.
Hard exudates detected on the digital photographs were an accurate indicator
of macular edema.
In the article, «Utility of Hard Exudates for the Screening
of Macular Edema,» using digital photographs of the eye taken at the doctor's office or clinic, eye specialists can reliably detect «hard exudates» — a key early sign of diabetes - related macular edema, reports the new research by Jorge A. Cuadros, OD, PhD, of UC Berkeley School of Optometry and colleagues.
Not exact matches
VEGF inhibitors have been used for several years to treat diabetic
macular edema, a swelling
of the retina that can occur as blood leaks around it.
About 750,000 Americans with diabetic retinopathy have diabetic
macular edema (DME) in which fluid leaks into the macula, the area
of the retina used when looking straight ahead.
The finding could lead to the development
of new drugs for wet
macular degeneration and diabetic
macular edema.
The anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs ranibizumab and aflibercept, used to treat vision loss from diabetic
macular edema (DME), and approximately 20 to 30 times more expensive than bevacizumab, are not cost - effective for treatment
of DME compared to bevacizumab unless their prices decrease substantially, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology.
The photos were sent over the Internet for review by eye specialists, who looked for hard exudates close to the line
of sight as an indicator
of clinically significant
macular edema.
This
macular edema is one
of the most serious vision - threatening changes in the eyes
of people with diabetes.
The dilated exams showed clinically significant
macular edema in about 15 percent
of patients.
In their study, Dr Cuadros and coauthors sought to determine whether hard exudates in clinic photographs are an accurate indicator
of clinically significant
macular edema in patients with diabetes.
Because Lucentis is commonly injected to treat diabetic
macular edema (DME)-- a build - up
of fluid in the center
of the retina — the study permitted the use
of Lucentis for DME in the laser group, if necessary.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals this week reported positive results from two phase 3 trials
of Eylea (aflibercept) injection for diabetic
macular edema (DME).
Clearside Biomedical announced that a special formulation
of triamcinolone acetonide showed good outcomes in patients with
macular edema associated with non-infectious uveitis.
Clearside Biomedical announced that their proprietary formulation
of triamcinolone acetonide (CLS - TA) improved vision in patients with
macular edema from noninfectious uveitis.
These studies have indicated that repeated doses
of anti-VEGF medications, such as ranibizumab, may prevent blood vessels from leaking fluid and causing
macular edema.
If left untreated, about a quarter
of people with diabetes eventually lose some
of their vision from diabetic
macular edema — a condition in which leaking blood vessels cause swelling in the center
of the retina.
«These results indicate a treatment breakthrough for saving the vision
of people with diabetic
macular edema,» said Neil M. Bressler, M.D., chair
of the DRCR.net and chief
of the Retina Division at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University.
When these damaged blood vessels begin to leak fluid near the center
of the retina, known as the macula,
macular edema occurs.
The DRCR.net was founded in 2002 through a cooperative agreement with the National Institutes
of Health to form a collaborative network dedicated to facilitating multicenter clinical research
of diabetic retinopathy, diabetic
macular edema and associated conditions.
«This comparative - effectiveness study demonstrated that a new treatment can protect and, in many cases, improve the vision
of people with diabetic
macular edema,» said NEI Director Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D..
Laser treatment
of the retina has been the standard care for diabetic
macular edema since an NEI - supported study in 1985 showed it to be beneficial.
• Refractive errors • Cataracts • Optic neuritis, an inflammation
of the optic nerve • Retinal diseases, such as a retinal tear or detachment •
Macular degeneration • Glaucoma • Conjunctivitis • Diabetic eye problems, such as diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macula
Macular degeneration • Glaucoma • Conjunctivitis • Diabetic eye problems, such as diabetic retinopathy and diabetic
macularmacular edema
Additionally, the levels
of beta - carotene and other eye nutrients in green beans help prevent
macular degeneration, also reducing the risk
of eye diseases in general, while red beans have a mild diuretic effect that can help alleviate
edema.
Comparison
of Ranibizumab and Bevacizumab for
Macular Edema Secondary to Retinal Vein Occlusions in Routine Clinical Practice.