Diabetic retinopathy

• Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness in the Western world in people aged 65 years or less. Intensive blood glucose control reduces the risk for development and progression of retinopathy. There is also a strong association between hypertension and retinopathy, and antihypertensive treatment seems to reduce the risk for both development and progression of retinopathy. The retinal vascular changes may vary from occasional hemorrhages and microaneurysms, to multiple hemorrhages and microaneurysms, prominent retinal thickening and exudates along blood vessels and in the macular region, new vessels, fibrosis, and retinal detachment. Sight-threatening lesions may well be present without disturbed visual function and visual outcome is dependent on timely treatments like laser photocoagulation and vitrectomy. Therefore, regular screening for diabetic retinopathy is of utmost importance. The molecular pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy includes factors that initiate and promote the vascular disease like hyperglycemia, the polyol pathway, nonenzymatic glycation, oxidative stress, activation of protein kinase C, different growth factors, and vasoactive hormones. Several changes also take place in the retinal vasculature, which cause changed retinal blood flow and heterogeneity of its distribution, areas of nonperfusion and ischemia and hypoxia, which in turn leads to an increased production of vasoactive factors like vascular endothelial growth factor.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Endokrinologi och diabetes (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Endocrinology and Diabetes (hsv//eng)

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