Photocoagulation Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy
Data Collection
Blindness+13
+ Cardiovascular Diseases
+ Diabetes Mellitus
Treatment Study
Summary
Study start date: January 1, 1972
Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.In the 1950s, diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes affecting the eyes, was a leading cause of blindness in the United States. A treatment called photocoagulation was introduced to manage this condition, but there was limited evidence of its actual benefits due to a lack of controlled clinical trials. To address this, the Diabetic Retinopathy Study (DRS) began in 1971, enrolling over 1,700 patients across 15 medical centers. This study is important as it aims to provide solid evidence on the effectiveness of photocoagulation in managing diabetic retinopathy, potentially improving care and reducing blindness for those affected by this condition. In this study, one eye of each patient is randomly chosen for immediate photocoagulation treatment, while the other eye is left untreated for comparison. The eye selected for treatment is then randomly assigned to one of two techniques, either using an argon laser or a xenon arc photocoagulator. Patients are monitored every 4 months, with their vision being carefully measured. The treatment typically involves one or two sessions and includes scatter photocoagulation, a procedure that extends to specific areas of the eye. The argon treatment involves a certain number of scatter burns and direct treatment of new vessels in specific areas, while the xenon technique involves fewer, stronger, and longer burns.
Protocol
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.Treatment Study
Eligibility
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.Any sex
Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.Until 70 Years
Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.Healthy volunteers not allowed
If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.Conditions
Pathology
Criteria
Patients were eligible if they had best corrected visual acuity of 20/100 or better in each eye and the presence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy in at least one eye or severe nonproliferative retinopathy in both eyes. They could not have had prior treatment with photocoagulation or pituitary ablation, and both eyes had to be suitable for photocoagulation. All eligible patients were younger than 70 years, and the examining physician assessed the outlook for survival and availability for 5 years of followup to be good.