engleski

The role of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a common and progressive microangiopathic complication of diabetes mellitus and a major cose of working age adults. Hypertension together with the duration of diabetes and hyperglycemia is considered as one of the substantional risk factors for development of diabetic retinopathy. It is increasingly clear that antihypertensive therapy in conjunction with rigorous glycemic control may be effectice in preventing the development and progresion of diabetic retinopathy, but the mechanism of this protective influence is still insufficiently understood. It has been proposed that simple lowering of blood pressure is important and that any class of anti-hypertensive agents would be effective. Alternatively, it has been suggested that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition may be paticularly beneficial. There is evidence for the existence of independent renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the eye. Experimental and clinical studies imply that the RAS may have pathogenetic influence in the development of diabetic retinopathy and thus the blocade of RAS by ACE inhibitors could provide protection from the development of this long term complication of diabetes.

diabetic retinopathy; pathogenesis; ACE inhibitors

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