Retinal blood flow increases following short-term aspirin usage in type I diabetics with no or minimal retinopathy.
In a double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover study, we measured the effect of aspirin on retinal blood flow in 8 type I diabetic patients, 5 with no observable retinopathy, and 3 with 1-10 observable microaneurysms and no other signs of retinopathy. Each patient ingested 1 capsule/day of either aspirin (650 mg) or placebo for 14 days. Following a 1-month washout period, the treatment was reversed. The bidirectional laser Doppler technique and monochromatic photography were used to measure the blood flow rate in a major temporal retinal artery in 1 eye of each patient at baseline and on the 14th day of each treatment period. Retinal blood flow increased following aspirin in 7 of the 8 patients. Using a standard crossover analysis we found a mean aspirin-placebo treatment difference of 21 +/- 17% (mean +/- 95% CI), which was statistically significant (p = 0.03). Retinal blood flow increased following aspirin by 44 +/- 10% (mean +/- SEM) in the 5 patients with no retinopathy (p = 0.04), but only by 8 +/- 10% (n.s.) in the 3 patients with minimal retinopathy.
Feke
G T
GT
Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Yoshida
A
A
Ogasawara
H
H
Konno
S
S
Goger
D G
DG
Buzney
S M
SM
McMeel
J W
JW
D000328:Adult; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D001241:Aspirin