Diabetic macular edema

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in persons under age 60 in the United States, and diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most common cause of visual loss in those with diabetic retinopathy.1-3 Natural history studies of eyes with DME show that 24% will lose at least three lines of vision over a period of 3 years.4 DME is increasing in prevalence throughout the world. In cross-sectional studies, the prevalence of DME in patients with diabetes has been reported to be 1.0-5.7%.5,6 The prevalence of DME in patients with diabetic retinopathy has been reported to be 2.7-11.0%.5,7-9 Suggestive data have been reported that the prevalence of DME relative to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) may vary by race with rates of DME relatively low in Native Americans relative to the rate of PDR.10 Besides its adverse effects on affected patients, DME is associated with large economic costs. In a Medicare claims study, diagnosis of DME was associated with a 34 and 33% increase in 1- and 3-year direct medical costs after adjustment for demographic variables and baseline comorbid conditions.11 © 2010 Springer-Verlag New York.