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August 2006
Have You Had Your Eyes Checked Lately?
One common diabetes drug may boost your risk of a serious eye condition. Here’s what you need to know.
If you have diabetic retinopathy and take a drug called rosiglitazone for type 2 diabetes, you may be at higher risk for developing another eye condition—macular edema (swelling). What are the signs? Blurry or distorted vision, seeing colors less vividly and not seeing well in the dark.
“If you have high blood pressure or poor blood sugar control, too, that will put you under greater risk for macular edema,” says ophthalmologist Maz Kazahaya, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Your risk is also higher the longer you’ve had diabetes.”
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when diabetes damages the blood vessels in your retina. If these blood vessels leak fluid, they can cause your macula to swell. The macula – a part of the retina in the back of your eye—provides you with central vision, allowing you to read and appreciate detail in what you see.
“Macular edema affects 2-4 percent of people with type 2 diabetes,” says Kazahaya. “So not all people with diabetes or diabetic retinopathy develop the condition, which we diagnose during a dilated eye exam.”
The trouble is, symptoms generally occur late in the condition, and treatment rarely improves vision. “That’s why it’s so important to have your eyes checked regularly,” he says. “Treatment usually just keeps your eyesight from getting worse.” (See “Call Your Eye Doctor Today” box for more information about frequency of eye exams.)
And if you take a drug containing rosiglitazone and don’t have retinopathy, there’s no need to panic. But do see your doctor immediately if you notice any of the symptoms listed above. Your doctor and eye doctor may switch you to another drug or lower the dosage of rosiglitazone.
This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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