Abstract
Pregnancy in a diabetic woman brings about many changes that can lead to the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) or worsening of pre-existing disease. In some patients this may develop into sight threatening disease which, if not treated adequately, can cause devastating visual impairment. There is a lack of established guidelines for screening these patients during pregnancy. In this article we discuss the physiological changes during pregnancy that contribute to worsening of diabetic retinopathy and review the relative contribution of risk factors to the underlying pathological processes. It is important to identify and treat any pre-existing retinopathy in diabetic women considering pregnancy and optimise glycaemic control prior to conception. Rapid tightening of glycaemic control after conception is associated with a less favourable outcome. Based on the existing literature we suggest guidelines for diabetic retinopathy screening for women during pregnancy. Established sight-threatening retinopathy should be treated at an earlier stage in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant diabetics with a similar disease.
Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy, Diabetes mellitus, Pregnancy, Laser photocoagulation, Screening
Current Diabetes Reviews
Title: Diabetic Retinopathy in Pregnancy
Volume: 5 Issue: 3
Author(s): Ajay Bhatnagar, Abdul-Jabbar Ghauri, Monique Hope-Ross and Peck L. Lip
Affiliation:
Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy, Diabetes mellitus, Pregnancy, Laser photocoagulation, Screening
Abstract: Pregnancy in a diabetic woman brings about many changes that can lead to the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) or worsening of pre-existing disease. In some patients this may develop into sight threatening disease which, if not treated adequately, can cause devastating visual impairment. There is a lack of established guidelines for screening these patients during pregnancy. In this article we discuss the physiological changes during pregnancy that contribute to worsening of diabetic retinopathy and review the relative contribution of risk factors to the underlying pathological processes. It is important to identify and treat any pre-existing retinopathy in diabetic women considering pregnancy and optimise glycaemic control prior to conception. Rapid tightening of glycaemic control after conception is associated with a less favourable outcome. Based on the existing literature we suggest guidelines for diabetic retinopathy screening for women during pregnancy. Established sight-threatening retinopathy should be treated at an earlier stage in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant diabetics with a similar disease.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Bhatnagar Ajay, Ghauri Abdul-Jabbar, Hope-Ross Monique and Lip L. Peck, Diabetic Retinopathy in Pregnancy, Current Diabetes Reviews 2009; 5 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157339909788920929
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157339909788920929 |
Print ISSN 1573-3998 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-6417 |
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Metabolic Programming Nowadays (or Perhaps Now and then?)
Current Nutrition & Food Science From Physiome to Pathome: A Systems Biology Model of Major Depressive Disorder and the Psycho-Immune-Neuroendocrine Network
Current Psychiatry Reviews Patent Selections
Recent Patents on Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Drug Discovery Light-at-Night-Induced Circadian Disruption, Cancer and Aging
Current Aging Science Does It Make Sense that Diabetes is Reciprocally Associated with Periodontal Disease?
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets Investigating Parent of Origin Effects in Studies of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity
Current Diabetes Reviews High-risk Pregnancy and Perinatal Outcome: An Observational Study
Current Women`s Health Reviews Benefits of Resistance Training in Older Adults
Current Aging Science The Adipose Tissue in Farm Animals: A Proteomic Approach
Current Protein & Peptide Science Possible Role of NUCB2/nesfatin-1 in Adipogenesis
Current Pharmaceutical Design Anti-islet Cell Antibodies in a Sample of Egyptian Females with Gestational Diabetes and its Relation to Development of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Current Diabetes Reviews Toward Greater Insights on Applications of Modeling and Simulation in Pregnancy
Current Drug Metabolism A Role for Insulin on L-Arginine Transport in Fetal Endothelial Dysfunction in Hyperglycaemia
Current Vascular Pharmacology Reversing Breast Cancer Stem Cell into Breast Somatic Stem Cell
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Estrogens and Glucocorticoid Hormones in Adipose Tissue Metabolism
Current Medicinal Chemistry Acute and Long-Term Effects of Cannabis Use: A Review
Current Pharmaceutical Design Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1): A Potential Target for Intervention in Ocular Neovascular Diseases
Current Drug Targets Study of Possible Relation between Fasting Plasma Glucagon, Gestational Diabetes and Development of Type 2 DM
Current Diabetes Reviews Targeting Adenosine Signaling to Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy
Current Drug Targets Classical and New Renin-Angiotensin Signalling in Atherosclerosis
Current Signal Transduction Therapy