Asthma treatment helps to slow early stages of diabetic retinopathy

An asthma drug called Montelukast has slowed down the early stages of diabetic retinopathy according to a US study.

Marketed as Singulair, Montelukast was tested on mice with type one diabetes by researchers from University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. A dose of the drug resulted in the suppression of chronic inflammation and an improvement in symptoms of the early stages of retinopathy damage.

Lead author Dr Rose Gubitosi-Klug said: ‘The daily dose equivalent used in the current study is similar to the once daily dose used in the treatment of asthma. We found that Montelukast was able to disrupt the signalling of inflammatory molecules called leukotrienes. This disruption significantly reduced small blood vessel and nerve damage that we see in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy.’