JUL 15, 2014
By Chirag P. Shah, MD, MPH
Retina/Vitreous
This two-year proof-of-concept study found that daily oral doxycycline monohydrate, 50 mg, significantly improved foveal sensitivity compared with placebo in patients with severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy or non high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
The authors believe this to be the first study to find a link between use of a low-dose anti-inflammatory drug and subclinical improvement in inner retinal function in diabetic retinopathy.
They randomized 31 patients with severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy or nonhigh-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy to 50 mg of doxycycline monohydrate or placebo daily for 24 months in a double-masked fashion.
Retinal function as measured by frequency doubling perimetry increased in the doxycycline group (+1.8 dB) and decreased in the placebo group (-1.9dB). This significant difference was detected at six months and persisted through the two-year study.
Doxycycline was well-tolerated with minimal drug-related adverse events and no drug-related ocular adverse events
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