Antioxidant supplementation in diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

Conventional treatments for diabetic retinopathy (DR) include glycaemic control, laser photocoagulation, vitrectomy, intravitreal triamcinolone, and intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor agents. However, these strategies have not been proven capable of halting the progression of this disease in all cases. The mechanisms leading to DR are not fully understood, but there is a growing body of evidence showing that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the development of this diabetic complications. Indeed, it has been proposed that oxidative stress is the initial and maintaining event that triggers and provides feedback to the other pathophysiological pathways related to DR.

The experimental data discussed in this chapter show that different antioxidant agents may prevent various biochemical and structural alterations in retinal cells cultured under hyperglycaemic conditions and in experimental diabetic animals. The results of human trials are promising and the trend in this kind of study is to administer a combination of antioxidants rather than individual antioxidants alone.