Diabetic eye disease
Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of this disease. All can cause severe vision loss or even blindness. The most common diabetic eye disease is diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness in American adults.
Who is at risk?
Anyone with diabetes. The longer someone has diabetes, the more likely he or she will get diabetic retinopathy. Between 40-45 percent of those with diagnosed diabetes have some degree of diabetic retinopathy. Risk increases in those who are inactive or overweight.
How does diabetic retinopathy affect vision?
This disease causes deterioration of the retina as a result of changes in retinal blood vessels. In some cases, retinal blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In others, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. These changes may result in vision loss or blindness.
What can I do to prevent it?
Two things. The first is treating your diabetes attentively from the very beginning. This means keeping blood glucose levels as close as possible to normal by following a healthy diet, exercising, and taking medication or insulin as prescribed by your doctor. If blood glucose is kept close to normal, the risk of vision loss is very small. The second thing is to find any early sign of retinopathy before it progresses to the stages causing vision loss or blindness. So, if you have diabetes, make sure you get a dilated eye examination at least once a year.
Can diabetic retinopathy be treated?
Yes. Laser surgery and appropriate follow-up care can reduce the risk of blindness by 90 percent. However, laser surgery often cannot restore vision that has already been lost. That is why finding diabetic retinopathy early is the best way to prevent vision loss.
What is Schepens Eye Research Institute doing about it?
The Institute is conducting a number of research studies in the laboratory and with patients to learn what causes diabetic retinopathy and how it can be better treated. Recent research includes:
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Studies of how high blood sugar levels leads to faulty metabolism, cellular damage, and early changes in retinal blood vessels.
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Role of particular retinal cells, known as Müller cells, and their role in the disease.
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Identification of pathways by which growth factors regulate the growth of new blood vessels.
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Investigations into possible therapeutic interventions with clinically available drugs, including aspirin.
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Low-vision aids for people who have sustained considerable central-vision.
