Diabetic retinopathy is the most serious complication of diabetes for your eyes, and it is estimated that 40% of people with type 1 diabetes and 20% with type 2 will develop some form of the disease. American researchers have now found that the drug Lucentis can be highly effective for treating the condition. In what is claimed to be the first major therapy advance in nearly 40 years, the discovery offers an alternative to the standard laser treatment which has been offered for the condition since the 1970’s. Although laser therapy is effective in improving central vision, it can cause deterioration in night sight and reduced side vision.

Jeffrey G. Gross, M.D, of the Carolina Retina Center in Columbia, South Carolina who chaired the study asserts that: “Lucentis should be considered a viable treatment option for people with proliferative diabetic retinopathy.”

Sources:

1. Science Daily:
   New treatment options, better hope of preventing vision loss from diabetes.
2. National Eye Institute:
   Lucentis Effective for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.