Currently, there is a dearth of evidence to corroborate the efficacy of topical eye drops; however, recent studies in animal models have shown there to be an effect via various pathogenic pathways.

A team led by Mikkel Thagaard, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Odense University Hospital, conducted a review of 19 studies, all of which evaluated patients with diabetic retinopathy and/or diabetic macular edema. The goal of their analysis was to ascertain whether topical treatments could have an effect on disease change or progression.

Systematic Review: Summary Findings

Thagaard and colleagues utilized PubMed, Embase, and Scopus to search for relevant and appropriate studies. All eligible and evaluated studies were a mix of randomized clinical trials and non-randomized trials and were heterogeneous in a target population, interventions, and outcome measure.

Of those included in the meta-analysis, 13 investigated topical eye drop use in DME populations. Further, 3 of those studies were randomized clinical trials, which generally showed favorable outcomes associated with treatment.

For example, Ohira et al (2015)—which compared 1.5% dexamethasone y-cyclodextrin nanoparticles (DexNP) with triamcinolone acetonide injection in patients with central DM— reported that topical treatment was associated with an increase in best-corrected visual acuity (BVCA) and decrease in macular thickness……Read More: https://www.hcplive.com/view/topical-treatments-diabetic-retinopathy-dme-hold-promise

Source: HCP Live