Diabetic Eye
Health – Statin Drugs May help Improve Blood Circulation possibly
preventing Diabetic Retinopathy and Blindness
May 15th, 2006
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Researchers from
Japan studied how simvastatin drug would effect blood circulation in the
eye. The study was first reported in the Archives of Ophthalmology.
While the results from this study are from healthy men, it potentially
could lead to a new treatment for prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy
which is caused by a lack of blood circulating in the eye and can
eventually lead to blindness.
The researchers
studied 12 healthy men ranging in age 19 through 23. They gave half the
participants a 20 milligram dose of simvastatin and the other half given
a placebo over seven days.
Measurements for
the intra-ocular pressure, blood velocity, blood flow, and plasma
nitrite/nitrate data was measured in the eyes of all of the
participants. They measured the participants 90 minutes after they had
taken the medication and followed up with another measurement 7 days
later.
The results showed
that the participants that were taking the simvastatin drug had a
reduced intra-ocular pressure. They also had a significant increase in
blood velocity and blood flow. There was also an increase in the
amounts of plasma nitrite/nitrate. The blood vessels did not change in
size.
Future research
would be needed with the simvastatin drug. It is not known at this time
if participants suffering from these types of eye diseases would benefit
from statin drug treatment.
Nicole Wilson
Best Syndication
Books
on Diabetes
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