New trial suggests no difference in risk for vision loss over 2 years with aflibercept, laser treatment, or observation; experts stress importance of adherence to follow-up and tight glycemic control. Medscape Medical News
Tag: Diabetes & Endocrinology
OPTIC Confirms Teprotumumab Benefit in Thyroid Eye Disease
Phase 3 findings support practice-changing use of the IGF-1R inhibitor for treating active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. Medscape Medical News
Testosterone May Underlie Rare Blindness Condition in Women
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a condition which can lead to blindness and primarily affects obese women, may be the result of increased testosterone levels in the blood and CSF, say UK researchers. Medscape Medical News
Diabetes Eye Exam Frequency in US Is ‘Alarmingly Low’
In a large database of insured patients, almost half with type 2 diabetes and a third with type 1 diabetes had no eye exam in a 5-year period. Change is needed to stop retinopathy being the leading cause of blindness. Medscape Medical News
Diabetic Retinopathy: 2-Year Screening Interval May Be Okay
Findings suggest screening intervals could be lengthened, but both the study authors and editorialists urge caution pending further study. Medscape Medical News
Take Diabetes Into Consideration When Assessing for Glaucoma
Diabetes and hyperglycemia are associated with thicker central corneal thickness, a relationship that could lead to overestimation of intraocular pressure, researchers warn ophthalmologists. Medscape Medical News
IGF1-Targeting Teprotumumab Tackles Thyroid Eye Disease
Longer-term results updating a study of teprotumumab show improvements up to 72 weeks. Medscape Medical News
Statins, Fibrates Lower Diabetic Retinopathy Risks in Diabetes
Patients with type 2 diabetes given statin or fibrate lipid-lowering therapy have both a reduced risk of developing diabetic retinopathy and being treated for the condition, Japanese claims data show. Medscape Medical News
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Don’t Raise Diabetic-Retinopathy Risk
Contrary to previous reports, glucagon-like receptor-1 agonists (GLP-1 RAs) do not appear to increase patients’ risk of diabetic retinopathy, according to findings from the U.K. Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). Reuters Health Information
Bariatric Surgery Halves Microvascular Risk in Type 2 Diabetes
‘Such a remarkable decrease in microvascular complications has rarely been demonstrated by any form of diabetes therapy,’ write the authors of an editorial accompanying the study. Medscape Medical News
New Diabetes Guidelines Already Outdated?
The ACP reviewed relevant studies but came to conclusions ‘not germane to the way we treat patients with type 2 diabetes today,’ says Dr Anne Peters.
Medscape Diabetes & Endocrinology
Severe Thyroid Eye Disease Trials Show Hit-and-Miss Results
Adding mycophenolate mofetil to standard therapy for severe Graves’ orbitopathy shows some benefits in a post hoc analysis, but added radiotherapy has no effect and azathioprine benefits appear inconclusive. Medscape Medical News
Cataract Risk Highest in Younger Diabetes Patients
Diabetes patients face a twofold increased risk of developing cataracts compared with other patients. The risk rises to more than fivefold among those aged 45 to 54 years, new UK registry data suggest. Medscape Medical News
Anti-VEGFs Before Vitrectomy Helpful in Diabetic Retinopathy
Pretreatment with agents blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) offers several advantages in patients with complicated proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) undergoing vitrectomy, according to pooled data. Reuters Health Information
Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes ‘Not a Benign Condition’
Patients who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age 18 to 45 (early-onset) had the highest prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and worst glycemic control in a Danish national cohort. Medscape Medical News
CHMP Backs Once-Weekly GLP-1 Analog Semaglutide
The nod from the European Medicines Agency’s advisory panel follows approval by the US Food and Drug Administration. International Approvals
Artificial Intelligence Eyed as Diabetic Retinopathy Screen
A “deep learning system” can be taught to determine whether or not diabetic retinopathy is present across different ethnicities in a variety of settings.
Medscape Medical News
Mycophenolate Add-On Improves Graves’ Orbitopathy
Improvements seen in overall responses, various clinical measures compared with methylprednisolone alone. Medscape Medical News
Eyedrops for Diabetic Retinopathy Possible in the Future?
Contrary to hypothesis, neurodysfunction preceded microvascular impairment in only a minority of diabetic-retinopathy patients, but in that subgroup, neuroprotective eyedrops arrested disease progression. Medscape Medical News
Bariatric Surgery May Reduce Retinopathy Risk, Progression
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass reduced diabetic retinopathy risk regardless of postsurgery diabetes status in a two-phase trial; a second study confirms obesity-related microvascular changes are reversible. Medscape Medical News