About Diabetes
Complications
Warning Signs
Screening Test
Donate Now
E-Lerts™
Index
Latest News
Diabetes Terms
Health & Fitness
Online Press Center
High Cholesterol in
Diabetes Can Harm Vision
posted December 09, 2004
Aggressive treatment to lower high
cholesterol in patients with type 1 diabetes, could protect their vision as well
as their cardiovascular health.
Harvard researchers found that individuals with the highest levels of
low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol, had twice the risk of
developing a visual problem called macular edema, or fluid in the macula of the
eye, compared with those with the lowest LDL levels. Subjects with the highest
ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the "good"
cholesterol had a fourfold increased risk of this eye disorder.
Clinically significant macular edema is the leading cause of vision loss in
diabetics, Dr. Debra A. Schaumberg of Brigham and Women's Hospital and
colleagues note. While high blood sugar has been tied to the development and
progression of disease of the retina, the relationship between blood glucose
control and clinically significant macular edema is not as clear.
Schaumberg and her colleagues analyzed data from the Diabetes Control and
Complications Trial, which included 1,441 patients with type 1 diabetes followed
for an average of 6.5 years. Study participants' cholesterol levels were checked
annually.
The study, is the largest investigation of its kind to-date to evaluate the
relationship between clinically significant macular edema and blood cholesterol
levels.
Patients in the top quarter of total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio had 3.84 times the
risk of clinically significant macular edema compared with those in the lowest
quarter. Those with the highest LDL levels were 1.95 more times likely to
develop clinically significant macular edema.
When the patients' blood sugar levels were considered, the relationship between
cholesterol levels and clinically significant macular edema was weaker, although
the association remained significant.
However, no relationship was seen between cholesterol levels and the progression
or development of diabetic retinopathy.
The results indicate that high cholesterol, especially the total-to-HDL
cholesterol ratio, are risk factors for clinically significant macular edema,
Schaumberg and her colleagues conclude. The findings may also lend further
support to current treatment guidelines that recommend aggressive lowering of
high cholesterol in diabetic patients, they add.
Source: Diabetes In Control.com:
Diabetes, November 2004.
December 2004 News Article Index
|
|
|
Home - About Diabetes - Complications - Warning Signs - Screening Test - Donate Now - Special Events - Latest News - Health & Fitness - Online Press Center - E-Lerts Index - Meet Mr. Diabetes® - Wake Up And Walk® Tour - About Us - Diabetes Terms - Site Search - Your Diabetes Profile - Message Board - Privacy Policy - Legal Notices - How to Contact Us - Comments form - Suggestion Form - Our E-Mail Addresses - Our Address and Phone Numbers - Links - Contact Us To be sure and come back to keep up with all the
Latest News and important information for diabetics - and to remind
yourself to manage and control your diabetes, click the yellow link
below
to add a small icon of our Defeat Diabetes® "Torch"
logo to your desktop. All you need to do after that is
click on the "Torch" to open our website.
Remember, we're here for you!
Translate this page into Spanish using FreeTranslation.com. © Copyright 2001 - 2004, Defeat Diabetes Foundation, Inc., All Rights Reserved |
We
subscribe to the HONcode principles