11 July Technology Developed By DRC Researcher Could Preserve Vision for Diabetes Patients July 11, 2018 By The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center 0 University of Iowa Health Care patients are the first in the nation to have access to a new technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnose diabetic retinopathy. The technology, known as IDx-DR, is the only medical device authorized by the Food and Drug Administration that uses AI for the autonomous detection of diabetic retinopathy. The device’s algorithm makes the diagnosis based on imaging of the patient’s retina without the need for an eye specialist to interpret the results. The technology was created by the Iowa City-based company IDx, a privately held AI diagnostics company, which was founded by Michael Abràmoff, MD, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology & Visional Sciences and member of the FOEDRC, in 2010. Much of the research used to develop IDx-DR was conducted by Abràmoff at the UI and licensed through the UI Research Foundation. Two months ago, the company completed clinical trials with 900 patients in hopes of receiving FDA approval early next year. If approved, Abràmoff said, the tool could preserve the vision of countless diabetes patients, save millions in health care costs, equip primary care providers with a relatively easy-to-use tool and pave the way for technology like it. “Screening for diabetic eye complications (diabetic retinopathy) is an essential component of comprehensive diabetes care. “Innovative strategies such as autonomous diagnostic AI represents an important advance,” adds E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD, UI professor and DEO of Internal Medicine, director of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism with UI Health Care, and director of the FOEDRC. “Importantly, this will allow patients to be screened for diabetic retinopathy at the same time as their regular visit with their provider. Moreover, it will identify those patients with significant retinopathy who need to be referred to eye specialists in a timely manner and determine those who do not. This innovation further strengthens our ability to provide state-of-the-art care for our patients with diabetes.” People with Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes are at risk for diabetic retinopathy, which affects 7.7 million Americans and is a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. Early detection and treatment can reduce the risk of blindness by 95 percent, but diabetic retinopathy often lacks early symptoms, so regular screening is needed to diagnosis the condition. Previously, screening would require an appointment with an eye specialist. The new AI-based system can be used by trained primary care providers during routine office visits, with results available in minutes. If a patient is diagnosed with more than mild diabetic retinopathy, they are referred to an eye specialist for follow-up and treatment. It is important to note that the IDx-DR system only detects diabetic retinopathy; it is not designed to diagnose other forms of diabetic eye disease and not intended to replace a comprehensive eye exam with an eye care professional. However, it provides a convenient option for people with diabetes to complete their recommended annual diabetic retinopathy exam. This is particularly important for the more than 50 percent of people with diabetes who are at high risk for vision loss and do not see their eye doctor on a yearly basis. Related Articles DRC Researchers Publish Major Breakthrough In Understanding How Diabetes Induces Eye Damage In the retina, diabetes damages nerves before it damages blood vessels. Diabetes is a major risk factor for severe vision loss and blindness. A condition known as retinal diabetic neuropathy causes visual impairment through the degeneration of small nerves (neurons) in light-sensitive tissue called the retina, which lines the back of the eye. An M-Health Intervention To Increase Activity Among Patients At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes In 2013, Dr. Philip Polgreen was the recipient of a FOEDRC Pilot Grant for his research entitled, “To evaluate a novel tool using text messages as a mechanism to promote sustained weight loss in patients with obesity and insulin resistance.” This cutting edge science was recently recognized and awarded additional funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). American Diabetes Association Supports FOEDRC Researchers DRC Director's Report - January 2018 Three researchers from the FOEDRC received new grants from the American Diabetes Association for groundbreaking research. The ability of our members to receive these competitive awards is truly remarkable and underscores the quality and rigor of the research that is being conducted in the FOEDRC. There are few institutions that received multiple awards in this current round of ADA funding. The awards to Drs. Ling Yang, Rajan Sah and Adam Rauckhorst are summarized below. Technology Developed By DRC Enhances Detection of Eye Disease in Diabetics DRC Director's Report, February 2018 Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a complication of diabetes, is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the developed world, and it is one of the most feared complications for people with diabetes. In the US, at least 25,000 people with diabetes go blind every year from this almost entirely preventable disease, and there are 25 million Americans with diabetes at risk for the disease, projected to increase to 50 million over the next 10 years. There is extensive proof that an annual eye exam to detect the retinopathy early and treat it before the onset of symptoms can prevent almost all permanent visual loss, unfortunately the annual eye exam is expensive and access may be difficult. DRC Researchers Describe A Novel Effect of A Heart Failure Medication to Reduce Diabetes Nerve Damage Peripheral neuropathy affects more than 50% of patients with diabetes and about 30% of subjects with pre-diabetes. There is no completely effective treatment for this complication of diabetes. How Diabetes Harms The Heart Study in mice involving FOEDRC researchers, reveals heart-damaging pathway triggered by insulin, identifies possible drug targets to prevent or treat heart failure. Diabetes is hard on the heart. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in people with diabetes, and risk for heart failure—where the heart can’t pump enough blood—is two to three times higher in men and up to five times higher in women with diabetes compared to people without diabetes. Showing 0 Comment Comments are closed.