Diabetic patients are prone to retinal damage, but controlling blood pressure may slow the progression of the damage and prevent loss of vision. Researchers from the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, studied 1148 patients with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure who were assigned randomly to either a tight or a less-tight blood pressure control strategy. The blood pressure goal for the tight-control group was set at a reading of 150 over 85; for the others, the goal was 180 over 105. The participants were followed for an average of was 9.3 years. Tight control of blood pressure helped in a significant reduction of all type of retinal damage as compared to the less-tight blood pressure control. Tight control slowed the retinal disease progression, and patients were less likely to need photocoagulation to repair retinal damage than those in the less-tight control group. Tight control also reduced the risk of blindness in one eye by 25 per cent. Ophthalmologists should tell their diabetic patients about the benefits of blood pressure control in reducing loss of vision and emphasize the need for routine monitoring of blood pressure.
Archives of Ophthalmology,
November 2004