Impact of the New Generation Anti-diabetic Drugs on Diabetic Retinopathy

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effects of new-generation anti-diabetic drugs, such as SGLT2 inhibitors and DPP-4 inhibitors, on the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in people with type 2 diabetes. The study focuses on whether these newer drugs can delay the onset of DR compared to older diabetes medications like metformin. Early intervention is important because treatments for advanced DR have limited ability to restore vision and are costly, so delaying DR could improve quality of life for diabetic patients. This observational cross-sectional study compares patients using classical oral anti-diabetic drugs with those using new-generation oral anti-diabetic drugs. Participants are adults aged 25 and older who have had type 2 diabetes for more than five years and have been on diabetes medications for 2 to 3 years. The study assesses diabetic retinopathy levels using Optos Ultra-widefield Retinal Imaging and scores the severity using the ICDR scale. Additional laboratory tests are performed to measure blood sugar control, kidney function, and kidney damage. Participants visit the study site once for baseline assessments including retinal imaging and blood and urine tests. The primary outcome is the diabetic retinopathy level measured on a 0-4 scale. Secondary outcomes include glycemic control by HbA1c percentage, serum creatinine for kidney function, and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio to assess kidney damage. The total participation involves this single assessment to understand the impact of different diabetes treatments on DR development.

Impact of the New Generation Anti-diabetic Drugs on Diabetic Retinopathy