Anticoagulant, antiplatelet medication may prevent diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients: Study

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 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