Effect of Hypolipidemic drug on Diabetic Retinopathy.

Seo, Man Seong; Yang, Kun Jin; Park, Yeoung Geol

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1996;37(7):1154-1160.
Published online July 1, 1996.

Effect of Hypolipidemic drug on Diabetic Retinopathy.

Man Seong Seo, Kun Jin Yang, Yeoung Geol Park

Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam University, Mdeical School, Kwanju, Korea.

비증식당뇨망막병증에 있어 항지질제의 효과

서만성(Man Seong Seo),양건진(Kun Jin Yang),박영걸(Yeoung Geol Park)

Abstract

The effect of improving hypercholesterolemia on non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy have been evaluated in 18 patients, 34 eyes, with noninsulindependent diabetes mellitus. The patient group took 20mg of lovastatin daily for one month and after then 40mg of lovastatin daily for two months. The control group, 14 eyes, took placebo for 3 months. After follow-up of 6 months, the serum cholesterol concentration was decreased by 21% (from 301.35 +/- 38.48 to 232.97 +/- 19.73mg/dl). The visual contrast sensitivity funtion was improved significantly on the statistics (p=0.005) as compared with the control group. The corrected visual acuity was improved in 11 eyes(32.4%) and retinal lesion was decreased in 10 eyes (29.4%). But they were statistically insignificant. This result suggests lowering the serum cholesterol may make a positive effect on non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus with hypercholesterolemia by means of improving visual contrast sensitivity function.

Key Words: Cholesterol;Contrast sensitivity;Diadetic retinopathy