Facts and Figures about Diabetic Retinopathy

Fri, 26 Mar 2010
Diabetic retinopathy refers to damage to the retina, in particular to blood vessels in the retina. The retina is the membrane which is light-sensitive and covers the back of the eye.

Should it be left untreated diabetic retinopathy can end up causing blindness.

Around 80% of all those with diabetes for at least ten years suffer from diabetic retinopathy to a certain degree.

Should this condition be diagnosed and treated early blindness is often preventable. Diabetic retinopathy usually begins without any noticeable alteration in vision.

An ophthalmologist or eye doctor can detect signs. Therefore, it is essential for diabetics to get their eyes examined at least twice a year.

You can get diabetic retinopathy whether you have Type 1 Diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes .

The longer the period of time the patient has been diabetic and the less controlled the blood sugar, the higher the risk of developing this condition.

There are around 16 million American diabetics, half of whom do not know they have diabetes.

Furthermore, only about 50 per cent of the half who know they are diabetic get adequate eye care.

Subsequently, diabetic retinopathy is the main cause of new cases of blindness in Americans aged between 25 and 74 that equates to 8,000 new cases per annum. Around 12% of all the new cases of blindness in America are as a result of diabetic retinopathy.

National Health Service figures confirm that diabetic retinopathy is the main cause of blindness in adults aged under 65 in the UK.

Moreover, the NHS affirms that around 25% of individuals with Type 1 Diabetes are going to develop a degree of diabetic retinopathy 5 years after their initial symptoms of diabetes develop.

A quarter of Type 2 diabetics do not require insulin . For diabetics who need insulin, about 40% are estimated to develop a degree of diabetic retinopathy five years after the onset of diabetic symptoms.

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