New research in rats suggests that some drugs used to treat high blood pressure may help prevent and treat a disorder that causes people with diabetes to mislay their vision.

The researchers tested candesartan (Atacand), a drug known as an angiotensin receptor blocker, on rats to see what would happen to 65 proteins in the retina that appear to be linked to diabetes. They found that the drug prevented over 70 % of the proteins from having abnormal changes.

The findings, which come in the largest study of its kind, can spell hope for people who suffer from diabetic retinopathy or are at jeopardy for it. The disorder damages blood vessels in the retina. Earlier research had suggested that high-blood pressure drugs -- also including ACE inhibitors -- may help.

Labels: Blood Pressure Drugs May Fight Diabetic Retinopathy