Evidence for anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment of diabetic macular oedema

Abstract

Diabetic macular oedema (DME) represents the most common cause of vision loss in patients affected by diabetes mellitus. Diabetic retinopathy has a significant impact on public health and the quality of life of many patients and thus requires serious consideration. The first line of treatment remains the management of systemic risk factors but this is often insufficient in controlling DME and currently, laser retinal photocoagulation is considered the standard of care. However, laser treatment reduces the risk of moderate visual loss by approximately 50 % without guaranteeing remarkable effects on visual improvement. For these reasons, new approaches in the treatment of DME have been considered, in particular the employment of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs. VEGF is a pluripotent growth factor that functions as a vasopermeability factor and an endothelial cell mitogen and thereby represents an appealing candidate as a therapeutic target for the treatment of DME. The goal of this article is to present the evidence behind the use of anti-VEGF drugs in the treatment of DME. © TOUCH BRIEFINGS 2012.