Diabetes Q&A

ADA Updates Treatment and Screening Guidelines for Diabetic Retinopathy

The American Diabetes Association has released new guidelines for the diagnostic assessment and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. The guidelines incorporate improvements in treatment and testing options for diabetic retinopathy since the publication of the American Diabetes Association Statement in 2002.

“These improvements include the widespread adoption of optical coherence tomography to assess retinal thickness and intraretinal pathology and wide-field fundus photography to reveal clinically silent microvascular lesions,” the guidelines stated.
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Among the recommendations:

  • Blood pressure, lipid, and glycemic control are strongly recommended to reduce the risk or slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy.
  • If retinopathy is not present in one or more annual eye exams, then screening every 2 years may be considered for the patient.
  • Retinal photography is recommended as a screening tool but not as a replacement for comprehensive eye exams.
  • Patients with type 2 diabetes should have a comprehensive eye exam at the time of diagnosis.
  • Patients with type 1 diabetes should have a comprehensive eye exam within 5 years after onset of diabetes.

In addition, the recommendations include treatments for diabetic macular edema, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and recommendations for screening women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who are pregnant or want to become pregnant.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Solomon SD, Chew E, Duh EJ, et al. Diabetic retinopathy: a position statement by the American Diabetes Association [published online February 21, 2017]. ADA. doi:https://doi.org/10.2337/dc16-2641.