Thirteen Distinct Patterns of Color Vision Impairment Shown in Diabetic Retinopathy Patients; Ophthalmologists Gain New Understanding of Condition.PASADENA, Calif. -- Ophthalmologists have identified thirteen distinct patterns in color vision impairment caused by diabetic retinopathy diabetic retinopathy n. Retinal changes occurring in long-term diabetes and characterized by punctate hemorrhages, microaneurysms, and sharply defined waxy exudates. . Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of acquired blindness which can occur at any time following the onset of diabetes and is preventable with proper examination and treatment. "Our paper describes the patterns of color or hue discrimination impairment we found in diabetic patients enrolled in the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS ETDRS Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study )," said Donald Fong, M.D., of the Department of Ophthalmology, Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, and the UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX School of Medicine. "About 26 percent of ETDRS patients showed a hue discrimination defect." The study was published in the July 5, 2004 edition of the American Journal of Ophthalmology. Diabetic retinopathy, when retinal blood vessels Blood vessels Tubular channels for blood transport, of which there are three principal types: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Only the larger arteries and veins in the body bear distinct names. leak, can occur in advanced or long-term diabetes patients and can affect the macula, a highly sensitive part of the retina responsible for central vision. Color baseline measurements were obtained from 2,701 patients enrolled in the ETDRS, a clinical trial evaluating using a laser to seal weak or leaking blood vessels in the retina, and aspirin therapy in diabetic retinopathy. Hue discrimination was measured using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test. The test results were classified by cluster analysis Cluster analysis A statistical technique that identifies clusters of stocks whose returns are highly correlated within each cluster and relatively uncorrelated across clusters. Cluster analysis has identified groupings such as growth, cyclical, stable, and energy stocks. , a tool which ascertains the degree of association between items in the same or different groups. The study's other authors are Franca B. Barton, M.S., and Genell L Knatterud, Ph.D., of the Maryland Medical Research Institute; George H. Bresnick, M.D., Department of Ophthalmology, University of Rochester The University of Rochester (UR) is a private, coeducational and nonsectarian research university located in Rochester, New York. The university is one of 62 elected members of the Association of American Universities. ; and Marian R. Fisher, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin. Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, group practice prepayment program headquartered in Oakland, CA. The Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region has more than 3.1 million members. They are cared for by the 3,600 physicians of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG SCPMG Southern California Permanente Medical Group ) and 47,300 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals and medical group employees. The Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region is served by 11 major medical centers. www.kaiserpermanente.org |
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