Diabetic eye
disease
Annual
Eye Exams Crucial to Early Detection and Treatment
surgery can shrink the abnormal blood vessels caused by
diabetic retinopathy.
Sieving
notes that "the longer a person has diabetes, the more likely
it is that person will develop
diabetic retinopathy. However, studies have shown
that people with diabetes who keep their blood sugar levels as
normal as possible slow the onset and progression of
diabetic retinopathy and lessen the need for laser
surgery. This may also help reduce other complications from the
disease, such as kidney disease, stroke and nerve
damage."
Individuals with diabetes are also at risk for other
eye diseases. Studies show that they are twice as
likely to get a cataract as a person who does not have the
disease, and that cataracts develop at an earlier age in people
with diabetes. Glaucoma may also become a problem. A person
with diabetes is nearly twice as likely to get glaucoma as
other adults. And, as with diabetic retinopathy,
the longer someone has had diabetes, the greater the risk of
getting glaucoma.
Much
research is being done to learn more about
diabetic eye disease. For instance, the
National Eye Institute is supporting a number of research
studies in the laboratory and with patients to learn what
causes diabetic retinopathy and how it can be
better treated. This research should provide better ways to
detect and treat
diabetic eye disease and
prevent blindness in more people with
diabetes.
|