Abstract
This abstract has been retracted. :
Purpose :
Diabetes Mellitus can lead to ocular complications that include retinal ischemia and macular edema. Current common practices to treat patients with such conditions often include anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections or focal lasers, which target the production of angiogenic factors such as VEGF and vascular leakage, respectively. This retrospective study explored the supplemental effects of Nocturnal Normobaric Hyperoxia (NNBH) treatment in patients with Diabetic Macular Edema (DME).
Methods :
Of 9 patients diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy and presenting macular edema, 7 adhered to self-administering 3 to 5 LPM normobaric hyperoxia (40% FiO2) overnight for at least 180 days. Macular Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging and ETDRS Visual Acuity measurements were taken for each eye (n=14) periodically for 180 days before NNBH and a following 180 days while on NNBH. Subjects’ measurements during the control time period were compared with those from the time period on NNBH using Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test. The number of anti-VEGF injections administered to each eye during each time period was also analyzed.
Results :
On average, patients saw decreases in the number of anti-VEGF injections needed while on NNBH (p<0.05). Additionally, the length of time between injections increased on average. Variability in macular thickness and volume while on NNBH was also shown to be decreased when compared to measurements collected while off NNBH.
Conclusions :
The data suggests that oxygen therapy may be beneficial in minimizing the progression of edema and its detrimental effects to visual acuity as evidenced by the more stable values of macular thickness and volume in patients with DME. NNBH is a low-cost therapy that may reduce the burden of treatment for diabetic retinopathy by lessening the need for anti-VEGF injections. These results also suggest further long-term studies may be necessary to delineate the comprehensive effects and elucidate the mechanism of supplemental oxygen in patients with DME.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.