Authors: Kaaja, Risto; Loukovaara, Sirpa

Source: Current Diabetes Reviews, Volume 3, Number 2, May 2007 , pp. 85-93(9)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) occurs at least temporarily during pregnancy and postpartum. The pathogenetic mechanisms of DR progression during pregnancy are not fully understood. Several factors related to metabolic changes (hyperglycaemia), diabetes itself (duration of diabetes before conception, baseline status of DR), pregnancy physiology (hypervolaemia and hypercoagulation, impaired retinal autoregulation) and pregnancy complications (pre-eclampsia) seem to play important roles in the progression of DR during pregnancy. On the other hand, systemic angiopoietic and vasoactive factors seem to have minor role in the deterioration of DR during that time period. Good glycaemic control, normotension, lack of nephropathy as well as lack of pre-proliferative/proliferative changes of DR are good prognostic factors as regards the progression of DR during pregnancy. However, pregnancy seems to have no long-term detrimental effects as regards the progression of DR unless it has proceeded to pre-proliferative and proliferative phases.

Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy; Pregnancy; Vascular factors; Retinal blood flow; Angiogenesis; Type 1 diabetes

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157339907780598252

Affiliations: 1: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 2, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.

Publication date: 2007-05-01

More about this publication?

• Current Diabetes Reviews publishes frontier reviews on all the latest advances on diabetes and its related areas e.g. pharmacology, pathogenesis, complications, epidemiology, clinical care, and therapy.
  
  The journal's aim is to publish the highest quality review articles dedicated to clinical research in the field. The journal is essential reading for all researchers and clinicians who are involved in the field of diabetes.

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Medicine ,  Medicine (General)
• By this author: Kaaja, Risto ;  Loukovaara, Sirpa

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers