Oxidative stress has been postulated as an underlying pathophysiologic mechanism of diabetic retinopathy (DR), the main cause of avoidable blindness in working-aged people. This review addressed the current daily clinical practice of DR and the role of antioxidants in this practice. A systematic review of the studies on antioxidant supplementation in DR patients was presented. Fifteen studies accomplished the inclusion criteria. The analysis of these studies concluded that antioxidant supplementation has a IIB level of recommendation in adult Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects without retinopathy or mild-to-moderate nonproliferative DR without diabetic macular oedema as a complementary therapy together with standard medical care.

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to perform an immunohistochemical, functional, and anatomical evaluation of patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). Methods: Twenty-four specimens of idiopathic ERM from 24 consecutive patients who underwent 23 G pars plana vitrectomy for ERM and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling at the San Juan University Hospital in Alicante (Spain) in 2019 were analyzed. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination including measurement of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and macular analysis by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) at the time of diagnosis and 3 months after surgery. Specific glial fibrillar acid protein antibodies (GFAP) and S100 calcium-binding protein β (S100β) immunostaining markers were used to identify the macroglial component of the ERM, Müller cells, and astrocytes. Ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 protein (Iba1) antibodies were used as specific markers for inflammatory cells, such as microglia and macrophages. Results: Mean preoperative BCVA measured with Snellen chart was 0.3 and 0.6 preoperatively and at 3 months after surgery, respectively. SD-OCT identified 15 patients (62.5%) with a disruption of the outer retinal hyperreflective bands. The immunohistochemical study showed the presence of Müller cells in almost all cases (91.6%), as well of abundant microglia and macrophages. Microglia and macrophages were more frequently present in earlier stages of ERM. Microglia were present in ERM independently of the outer retinal hyperreflective bands integrity as measured by SD-OCT. A greater presence of macrophages was found in those ERMs with no outer retinal hyperreflective band disruption. Conclusions: Müller cells seem to be the most frequent cell group in ERMs, with also presence of microglia cells and macrophages. Astrocytes were more frequently found in early stages of ERMs. Microglia and macrophages were most frequent in ERMs with early stage (1, 2, or 3) than in advanced stages (4).

Background/Objectives: We aim to characterize, through a survey-based approach conducted in Spain, the perspectives of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients regarding geographic atrophy (GA). Methods: A survey-based study assessed ophthalmologists’, optometrists’, and AMD patients’ perceptions and practices regarding geographic atrophy management in Spain, including disease journey challenges. Results: The study sample comprised 30 ophthalmologists, 35 optometrists, and 37 patients. A substantial majority of ophthalmologists followed a specific protocol for the management of GA, in which optical coherence tomography, visual acuity assessment, and fundus examination constituted the core diagnostic procedures. Although most HCPs reported recommending low vision aids, only 5.4% of patients reported having received such a recommendation or prescription (p < 0.001). Considerable variability among the optometrists surveyed was identified regarding visual rehabilitation programmes involving low vision aids. Furthermore, while most ophthalmologists and optometrists reported having provided various types of disease-related information, a significantly lower proportion of patients reported having received information on several aspects such as the disease itself (p < 0.001), disease progression (p < 0.001), impact on quality of life (p < 0.001), or low vision aids (p < 0.001). Multiple limitations in daily living activities were reported by patients, with those diagnosed with GA experiencing significantly greater difficulty reading television subtitles (p = 0.026) and performing manual tasks (p = 0.005). Conclusions: HCPs appear to follow specific protocols and guidelines in the management of GA; however, a potential deficit in effective HCP–patient communication has been identified that should be investigated further.