Anticoagulant, antiplatelet medication may prevent diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients: Study
Taipei, Taiwan: Antiplatelet/anticoagulant (APAC) medications have a protective effect against the development of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in type 2 diabetes patients, a recent study has found. The authors wrote, "single-use of aspirin or dipyridamole may benefit diabetes patients for the prevention of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy." The study appears in the journal BMC Ophthalmology.
Cheng-Li Lin, Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, and colleagues conducted the study with an aim to investigate whether antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy can protect patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from the development or progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a retrospective cohort study.
The study used Longitudinal Health Insurance Database in Taiwan. It included a total of 73,964 patients with type 2 diabetes older than 20 years old. Hazard ration (HR) of non-proliferative DR (NPDR), proliferative DR (PDR), and diabetic macular edema (DME) were analyzed with APAC usage as a time-dependent covariate. In a multivariable model, age sex, comorbidities, and medicines were further adjusted. Contributions of respective APAC were investigated with sensitivity analysis.
The study found the following:
· Compared with nonusers, APAC users had a lower cumulative incidence of NPDR, the overall incidence of NPDR (10.7 per 1000 person-years), and the risk of developing NPDR (adjusted HR = 0.78).
· No significant differences were observed between APAC users and nonusers in the risks of PDR or DME.
· Hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic neuropathy were risk factors for NDPR development, while heart disease, cardiovascular disease, peripheral arterial occlusive disease, and statin usage were covariates decreasing NPDR development.
· Aspirin and Dipyridamole showed significant protection against NPDR development.
· Clopidogrel, Ticlopidine, and warfarin showed enhanced protection in combination with aspirin usage.
"APAC medications have a protective effect against the development of NPDR," wrote the authors. "Diabetes patients benefit from single-use of aspirin or dipyridamole on the prevention of NPDR."
Reference:
Jeng, CJ., Hsieh, YT., Lin, CL. et al. Effect of anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy on the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy. BMC Ophthalmol 22, 127 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-022-02323-z
Disclaimer: This website is primarily for healthcare professionals. The content here does not replace medical advice and should not be used as medical, diagnostic, endorsement, treatment, or prescription advice. Medical science evolves rapidly, and we strive to keep our information current. If you find any discrepancies, please contact us at corrections@medicaldialogues.in. Read our Correction Policy here. Nothing here should be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We do not endorse any healthcare advice that contradicts a physician's guidance. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Advertisement Policy. For more details, read our Full Disclaimer here.
NOTE: Join us in combating medical misinformation. If you encounter a questionable health, medical, or medical education claim, email us at factcheck@medicaldialogues.in for evaluation.