Diabetic macular edema (DME) has been the leading cause of moderate vision loss in people with diabetes mellitus.¹ The prevalence of diabetes is expected to increase as the prevalence of obesity continues to increase markedly; therefore, improving treatment of DME will become increasingly important.² Based on findings from the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS), focal/grid laser photocoagulation had been the mainstay of treatment for DME since 1985.³ However, recent studies^3-6 suggesting a role for vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) in the pathogenesis of DME have prompted evaluation of anti-VEGF drugs, such as ranibizumab (Lucentis; Genentech), bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech), and aflibercept (Eylea; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc, and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of DME.

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring plant polyphenol found in grapes, is the principal biologically active component in red wine. Clinical studies have shown that resveratrol due to its potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are cardio-protective, chemotherapeutic, neuroprotective, and display anti-aging effects. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a critical role in the initiation and progression of age-related ocular diseases (glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration) that lead to progressive loss of vision and blindness. In vitro and in vivo (animal model) experimental studies performed so far have provided evidence for the biological effects of resveratrol on numerous pathways including oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, pro-survival or angiogenesis that are implicated in the pathogenesis of these age-related ocular disorders. In this review, we provide a brief overview of current scientific literature on resveratrol, its plausible mechanism(s) of action, its potential use and current limitations as a nutritional therapeutic intervention in the eye and its related disorders.

To evaluate macular thickness in people with diabetes but minimal or no retinopathy using Heidelberg Spectralis optical coherence tomography (OCT). In a multicenter, cross-sectional study of mean retinal thickness, on Spectralis OCT in the nine standard OCT subfields, spanning a zone with 6-mm diameter, center point, and total retinal volume were evaluated. Central subfield (CSF) thickness was evaluated for association with demographic and clinical factors. Stratus OCT scans also were performed on each participant. The analysis included 122 eyes (122 participants) with diabetes and no (n = 103) or minimal diabetic retinopathy (n = 19) and no macular retinal thickening on clinical exam. Average CSF thickness was 270 ± 24 μm. Central subfield thickness was significantly greater in males relative to females (mean 278 ± 23 μm vs. 262 ± 22 μm, P < 0.001). After adjusting for gender, no additional factors were found to be significantly associated with CSF thickness (P > 0.10). Mean Stratus OCT CSF thickness was 199 ± 24 μm. Mean CSF thickness is approximately 70 μm thicker when measured with Heidelberg Spectralis OCT as compared with Stratus OCT among individuals with diabetes in the absence of retinopathy or with minimal nonproliferative retinopathy and a normal macular architecture. CSF thickness values ≥ 320 μm for males and 305 μm for females (~2 SDs above the average for this normative cohort) are proposed as gender-specific thickness levels to have reasonable certainty that diabetic macular edema involving the CSF is present using Spectralis measurements.