Observation of the clinical efficacy of Didang Decoction for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy with obstruction of collaterals due to blood stasis
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Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of Didang Decoction in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR) with obstruction of collaterals due to blood stasis. Methods: A total of 110 patients with DR whose collaterals were obstructed due to blood stasis were selected and randomly divided into the observation group and the control group using a random number table, with 55 patients in each group. For 16 weeks, the control group received standard hypoglycemic therapy while the observation group was given Didang Decoction. Before and after treatment, both groups were compared on the measures of clinical efficacy such as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal topography (CMT), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom score, and related blood tests. Results: The overall success rate was 87% in the observation group and 67% in the control group. After comparing the values before treatment, both groups showed a reduction in TCM symptom scores relative to pre-treatment levels ( P < 0.05); the TCM symptom score was lower in the observation group than in the control group ( P < 0.05). Compared to the values before treatment, the BCVA level increased ( P <0.05) and the CMT level decreased significantly ( P < 0.05) after treatment in the observation group. After treatment, FBG and Hba1c levels were lower in both groups than they were before treatment ( P < 0.05), whereas the decline in the observation group was considerably less than that in the control group ( P < 0.05). After treatment, the MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-14 levels in the observation group decreased significantly compared to levels before treatment ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Didang Decoction can effectively enhance visual acuity, improve TCM symptoms, and to a certain extent, reduce inflammation in patients with DR, however, additional long-term clinical observation and mechanism research is needed.
