Diabetic Retinopathy, a Leading Cause of Blindness, to be Discussed at ADA Meeting.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

INDIANAPOLIS--(BW HealthWire)--June 22, 2001

Approximately 2.5 million people around the world are blind because they have diabetes. Visual loss often occurs due to diabetic retinopathy and macular edema, two serious eye complications related to diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy is a disease of small blood vessels of the retina of the eye and is the leading cause of new onset blindness in adults of working age (20-65 years) in industrialized countries. Nearly half of all people with diabetes will develop some form of diabetic retinopathy and 74 percent of people who have diabetes for 10 years or more will show clinical evidence of diabetic retinopathy. A common complication associated with diabetic retinopathy is macular edema, a swelling near the center of the retina that affects approximately 14 percent of people with diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy is caused by hyperglycemia-induced microvascular dysfunction -- or continuous high glucose levels -- in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Healthcare professionals attending the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting starting today will learn more about the prevalence and treatment of diabetes-related eye disorders through scientific sessions and symposia.

"Diabetic retinopathy and macular edema are potentially serious conditions that often remain undiagnosed until well after the most desirable time for treatment," said Lloyd Paul Aiello, M.D., PhD, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, Joslin Diabetes Center. "As the worldwide prevalence of diabetes increases rapidly, it is crucial that people with diabetes understand the importance of annual eye exams so that eye complications can be treated in an appropriate and timely manner." The current treatment option for diabetic retinopathy and macular edema is laser surgery. During this process, the eye care professional makes tiny burns on the retina surface that destroy retinal tissue, reducing retinal vascular leakage and the stimulus for growth of abnormal blood vessels.

Lilly is studying an investigational pharmaceutical compound for its potential to treat diabetic retinopathy and macular edema.

"The World Health Organization estimates that 150 million people around the world have diabetes and the WHO expects that number to double during the next 25 years," Aiello said. "As more people are diagnosed with diabetes, the importance of prompt and appropriate steps to manage complications like diabetic retinopathy will become even more essential."

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers -- through medicines and information -- for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.