Study: High blood pressure medication may treat diabetic retinopathy

February 25, 2010

Although it was recently reported that cholesterol medication may benefit eye health, scientists in Massachusetts have discovered that high blood pressure medication may offer an alternative treatment for people suffering from diabetic retinopathy.

The study, published in the Journal of Proteome, found that a drug known as candesartan, which is found in high blood pressure medications, could stop up to 70 percent of abnormal changes in proteins of the retina.

The condition is a common side-effect of diabetes. Individuals who develop diabetic retinopathy may experience vision loss and blindness because the disease causes a shift in proteins which damages the blood vessels in the retina.

Researchers are hopeful that these findings could ultimately lead to alternative treatments for the vision disease.

According to the American Optometric Association, individuals who are suffering from diabetes and see spots, empty spaces or floating specks, experience blurred vision, or have difficulty seeing at night may be experiencing the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy and should consult with an optometrist immediately.