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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Adult, Aged, Blood Glucose, Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetic Retinopathy, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Hormones, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neovascularization, Pathologic, Octreotide, Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures, Patient Compliance, Treatment Outcome, Visual Acuity, Vitreous Hemorrhage.
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Does octreotide reduce vitreous hemorrhage and loss of visual acuity risk in patients with high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy? Context: Growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I have been implicated as strong promoters of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. We studied reduction of bleeding and preservation of visual acuity by treatment with the long-acting somatostatin analogue, octreotide, in diabetic patients at an advanced stage of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Randomized trial in a University hospital setting. Reading ophthalmologists were masked for octreotide use, diabetologists were aware of that treatment. Nine patients received 100 microg tid octreotide (verum) subcutaneously for a maximum of 36 months. Nine diabetics served as controls, no placebo treatment was used. Episodes of vitreous hemorrhages were counted, measurement of visual acuity, estimation of neovascularization by stereoscopic fundus photography and fluorescein angiography were carried out. After 3 years of treatment, the incidence of vitreous hemorrhages and the need for vitreoretinal surgery was significantly lower (log rank test p = 0.002) in the octreotide-treated patients. Visual acuity was preserved and significantly better in the octreotide treated group compared to controls (p = 0.05).
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In diabetics with high-risk proliferative retinopathy after full scatter laser coagulation, octreotide reduced the number of vitreous hemorrhages, preserving visual acuity. Final Decision: yes