A. Buchbinder et al., Is insulin lispro associated with the development or progression of diabetic retinopathy during pregnancy?, AM J OBST G, 183(5), 2000, pp. 1162-1165
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine whether there is an associa
tion between the use of insulin lispro during pregnancy and the development
or progression of diabetic retinopathy.
STUDY DESIGN: This observational cohort study included women with type 1 di
abetes mellitus (n = 12) who were enrolled in our diabetes mellitus in preg
nancy program and were treated with insulin lispro during pregnancy. We com
pared these women with a historical cohort (n = 42) who were treated with r
egular insulin during pregnancy All patients underwent ophthalmologic exami
nations before 24 weeks' gestation and post partum, and retinopathy was gra
ded according to a previously defined scale.
RESULTS: Whereas none of the patients in the insulin lispro group showed an
y change in retinopathy status, 6 patients in the regular insulin group (14
%) demonstrated changes in retinopathy status. Mild background retinopathy
(change from grade 0 to 1) developed in 3 of these patients, and extensive
proliferative retinopathy developed in 1 patient after normal results of th
e baseline examination (change from grade 6 to 6). Two patients had progres
sion of retinopathy-1 had progression from background retinopathy to mild p
roliferative retinopathy (change from grade 2 to 4) and 1 had progression f
rom mild proliferative retinopathy to extensive proliferative retinopathy (
change from grade 4 to 6).
CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings provide no evidence that insulin li
spro treatment during pregnancy is associated with the development or progr
ession of diabetic retinopathy.