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Eye Test for Early Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy |
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Latest Health News
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This test may prove to be a simple and less invasive method of detecting diabetic retinopathy and other vision-related problems
Researchers have recently studied an innovative device that may help doctors in detecting early signs of Diabetes-related problems with vision.
According to a research team at the University of Michigan, the new diagnostic apparatus is capable of capturing images of early signs of Metabolic problems and tissue damage within the eye. This innovative device gauges an observable occurrence known as flavoprotein autofluorescence (FA) which is considered to be a good determining factor of vision problems.
Dr. Victor Elner, a professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences of the university who heads the study explained that the principle behind the FA measurement is to assess whether the retinal tissue is experiencing a metabolic disorder.
Elner further said that the objective of their study was to find out if they could “detect abnormal Metabolism in the Retina of patients who otherwise would remain undiagnosed based o the examination alone.” In the study, FA levels were determined by Elner and his team in 21 individuals diagnosed with diabetes. The team then analyzed the results against those from individuals who were not suffering from the disorder.
The researchers found out that FA levels were considerably greater in diabetic people than those in non-diabetic individuals. According to Elner, “The diabetics demonstrated consistently abnormal metabolism when compared to control individuals without disease.”
Elner’s team also quantified FA levels in subjects with diabetic retinopathy and those who do not have the disease. A complication usually experienced by many people with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy is an eye disorder which can ultimately cause blindness.
Elner noted that patients suffering from retinopathy yielded more significantly abnormal FA levels than those who did not have the condition. “This indicated that we can actually use the method to monitor the severity of the disease,” he further said.
According to Elner, FA determination has several advantages.
“FA testing is less invasive, rapid and gives a test result within five minutes,” Elner elucidated. He further explained that the method supplements glucose tolerance testing because it offers actual information regarding tissue damage in the retina, which indicates the general functioning of the body.
Elner also said that apart from being a fast and non-invasive method, the new diagnostic procedure can be utilized as a screening technique for patients whose risks of developing various diseases are heightened. According to him, the prevalence of diabetes in our population has qualified the disease as the best example of that. “But the technique is also capable of screening other diseases such as Glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration,” he further said.
Because of the financial fascination this technology has on Elner, he opened a company to make it available to the industry.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that about 24 million Americans suffer from diabetes and some 57 million more suffer from pre-diabetes. Furthermore, approximately 4.1 million individuals 40 years and above have diabetic retinopathy.
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