Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Diabetic macular edema (DME; diabetic macular oedma in some countries), which can be associated with diabetic retinopathy, is characterized by macular thickening and accumulation of pathologic fluid in the portion of the retina responsible for central vision. DME is a leading cause of vision loss in individuals with diabetes and can severely impact their daily activities and quality of life. Standard DME treatment involves intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents, and some patients receive laser photocoagulation and/or intravitreal corticosteroid injections. Anti-VEGF injections can pose considerable burdens for patients and caregivers, with the need for frequent injections and face-to-face clinic appointments, and have limited effectiveness or durability in some patients. To highlight challenges for patients with current treatment options and support a basis for research on new treatments, two people with DME and two expert physicians collaborated on this patient-led manuscript. Together, they explored the real-world experiences and perspectives of the patient authors and reviewed the relevant DME literature. Many of the experiences with current injectable DME treatments of our patient authors and other patients they know aligned with the literature. They noted the benefits of face-to-face clinician contact for injections and the substantial burdens associated with appointments, difficulties caused by comorbid eye conditions, pain and anxiety related to injections, treatment effectiveness limitations, and the need for novel therapies. These insights and perspectives will enable patients and clinicians to better understand current challenges around injectable anti-VEGF treatments in DME, how future developments might address patients’ treatment needs, and how best to support patients with DME receiving anti-VEGF treatment to minimize its impact and burdens. Diabetic macular edema (DME; diabetic macular oedma in some countries) is a common eye problem for patients with diabetes, which can cause sight loss. Blood vessel leakage inside the eye can lead to DME. Standard treatments involve eye injections of a drug that stops the leakage by blocking a protein that causes blood vessels to leak. Many studies have highlighted the challenges associated with these injections and the impact on patient quality of life, including long appointment times and injection-related pain or anxiety. However, few studies directly involve patient authors sharing their experiences and perspectives on these matters; therefore, our article not only summarizes existing scientific research on the impact of treatment injections on patients but also invited two patients with DME to collaborate with two expert eye doctors to give their thoughts and share their experiences. The patient authors provided real-life examples of the benefits from their own treatment and limitations of current DME therapies, explaining how new therapies can address the needs of people living with DME to improve quality of life and minimize treatment burdens. Along with specific issues they have experienced, including pain, eye damage, injection-related anxiety, lack of treatment effectiveness, and challenges for attending appointments, they spoke about their hopes for what new treatments may offer to improve the lives of people with DME. We hope this collaboration will assist patients and healthcare professionals alike in understanding how best to improve quality of life and decrease treatment burden for people with DME.
Source: Ophthalmology and Therapy
Authors: Bernadette Warren, Michael Donohoe, Sobha Sivaprasad, Charles C. Wykoff
Language: English
Subfield: Ophthalmology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $7,400
Funder: Allergan
OpenAlex ID: W4416225359