Beware macular oedema

摘要

De Vries and Russell-Jones point out that the increased risk of cardiac failure in patients taking glitazones may result from fluid and sodium retention.1 Diabetic patients taking rosiglitazone and pioglitazone are also more likely to develop diabetic macularoedema, which seems to be reversible in many cases on stoppingthe drug.2 An association of glitazones with diabetic macularoedema has been reported in a large, 170 000 strong, cohort even after adjustment forthe confounding factors of age, glycaemicontrol, and insulin use.Physicians and ophthalmologists caring for patients taking glitazones should be aware of this vision threatening complication as well as the risk of cardiac failure, and stop glitazone treatment in those developing diabetic macular oedema.