Clinical evidence of venoactive drugs in diabetic microvascular complications: a scoping review

Diabetic microvascular complications (DmVCs) and chronic venous disease (CVD) share common risk factors and pathophysiological features. However, they are often assessed and managed as separate conditions. The study objective was to map the available clinical evidence of venoactive drugs (VADs), beyond their demonstrated effects on sign and symptoms of CVD, in the management of patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic nephropathy (DN) and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). We conducted a Scoping Review to map the clinical evidence on VADs recommended for treating CVD in the management of DR, DN and DPN to address VADs choices in clinics. PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were searched, studies in any language were included with no restriction on publication date. In total, 393 records were identified. Most included studies (N.=42) assessed clinical outcomes in DR (N.=33), followed by DN (N.=7) and DPN (N.=2). The median (range) publication date of the included studies was 2001 (1970-2022). Most studies were randomized trials (57%), followed by case series (17%), and case-control studies/systematic reviews (both 10%). Calcium dobesilate (CaD), was the most assessed VAD in DR (85%), DN (86%), and DPN (50%). CaD has shown significant improvements in DR and DN based on systematic-review data. Our findings suggest that VADs, in particular CaD, may represent a promising therapeutic option for the treatment of patients with both CVD and DmVC. Medical recommendations for VADs prescription should consider patients' microvascular status, evidence about VADs, as well as the multi-modal treatment approach.