Working Towards Helping Diabetic Women Maintain Eye Health During Pregnancy

Hormones play a key role in choreographing these changes. The hormone HCG is commonly referred to as the “pregnancy hormone” because it is the first hormone to increase its production after conception. It is first produced by the conceptus (embryo at the first stage of pregnancy) and then, in large quantities, by the placenta. HCG is the hormone that pregnancy tests measure since it can be detected in the maternal blood right at the beginning of pregnancy. Not all eye changes during pregnancy are normal. Sometimes, pregnancy can negatively impact vision on a more permanent basis. Zietchick Research Institute is working on developing a drug to prevent the progression of diabetic retinopathy during pregnancy. Diabetes mellitus affects over 300 million people worldwide; diabetes can have a negative impact on the blood vessels of the retina (the back layer of the eye).

Within 10 years of a diabetic diagnosis, over half of diabetic patients will develop diabetic retinopathy. Because more and more teenagers and young adults are developing diabetes earlier in life, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy prior to pregnancy is increasing. It is of great concern that the majority of diabetic women with diabetic retinopathy prior to pregnancy will experience worsening of their eye disease during pregnancy. However, despite physicians’ awareness of this well-described problem, the reason why this occurs is not yet known. To improve maternal health, it is essential that we figure why retinopathy deteriorates in pregnant diabetic eyes. Research at Zietchick Research Institute suggests that hormones may be responsible for this. We are working on developing an anti-hormone drug that can be administered as an eyedrop to counteract the negative effects of pregnancy hormones in the eye. In the near future, we expect to improve the eye health outcomes of pregnant diabetics.