New Drug Treatment Offers Hope for Diabetics to Prevent Sight Loss

Strategic Insights -

A groundbreaking study led by Queen's University Belfast and funded by Diabetes UK has discovered a potential new treatment to slow or prevent vision loss in people with diabetes. The research, led by Professor Tim Curtis and Dr Josy Augustine, targeted early damage to the eye before it becomes irreversible, offering a novel approach to addressing diabetic retinal disease. This condition is a common cause of vision loss in adults of working age, responsible for 1,280 new cases of blindness and 4,200 people at risk of visual impairment each year in England alone.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study, led by Professor Tim Curtis and Dr Josy Augustine, found a potential new treatment to slow or prevent vision loss in people with diabetes, focusing on early damage to the eye before it becomes irreversible.
  • Diabetic retinal disease is a common cause of vision loss in adults of working age, responsible for 1,280 new cases of blindness and 4,200 people at risk of visual impairment each year in England alone.
  • Current treatments tend to target the later stages of the disease, when significant damage has already occurred.
  • Professor Curtis stated that diabetic retinal disease often begins without symptoms, with early damage to nerve cells and blood vessels happening long before people notice any problems.
  • The study offers a novel approach to addressing diabetic retinal disease, targeting early damage before it becomes irreversible.
  • Queen's University Belfast, King's College London, the Medway School of Pharmacy, and the Medical University of South Carolina were involved in the research.
  • Diabetes UK funded the study, highlighting the organization's commitment to finding innovative solutions to address the issue of diabetic retinal disease.

Statistics:

  • 1,280 new cases of blindness are caused each year in England by diabetic retinal disease.
  • 4,200 people are at risk of visual impairment each year in England by diabetic retinal disease.
  • Diabetic retinal disease is a leading cause of vision loss in adults of working age.

Sources:

  • "New drug treatment could help protect people with diabetes from sight loss" (no date provided)
  • Diabetes UK (funding source)