AIM: To study the clinical efficacy of integrative therapy in the treatment of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

METHODS: Ninety patients(90 eyes)in our hospital with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy were randomly divided into three groups. All three groups were treated with diabetes drugs to control blood sugar. The first group was treated with western medicine, the second group was treated with Chinese medicine decoction Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)treatment, and the third group was treated with the combination of those two methods. All patients were recorded and analyzed changes of clinical effects after 6 courses of treatment.

RESULTS: After 6 courses of treatment, the total efficacy rate of the third group was 86%, markedly higher than that of the first group(57%, P<0.05)as well as the second group(60%, P<0.05). The integrative group improved more markedly in terms of vision, macular edema absorption, and ERG b-wave amplitude restoration, the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05)when compared to the first and the second group.

CONCLUSION: Integrative treatment of diabetic retinopathy could effectively improve the therapeutic effect in patients with non-proliferative retinopathy.