Today in the United States nearly 21 million children and adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, while another 54 million are at risk for the disease. Unfortunately there are more than 6 million undiagnosed diabetics in the United States. According to the American Diabetic Association, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, increases by 6% each year. This means that that the population of diabetics doubles in the every 15 years. According to the American Optometric Association’s 2007 American Eye-Q® survey, more than 60 percent of adults know that diabetes is detectable through a comprehensive eye examination. However, only 32 percent of adults who do not wear vision correction have seen a doctor of optometry in the past two years. With nearly two-thirds of adults not receiving regular, comprehensive eye examinations, millions of Americans are not only putting their vision, but also their health, at risk. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults 20 to 74 years old. Diabetes is estimated to cause from 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of vision loss each year. Two complications of diabetes, cataracts and glaucoma, can also lead to a loss of vision. However, both are easily detectable with routine vision care. Annual Eye Exams Mean Early Detection An annual eye exam can serve as the first line of detection for diabetes because high blood sugar can cause blurry vision and a significant eye glass prescription change. The eye is the only place in the body that blood vessels can be seen directly in the human body. Complications from diabetes arise when weakening occurs in the walls of the tiny blood vessels found in the retina. This causes microaneurysms to form. These microaneursyms tend to leak fluid, sometimes causing diabetic macular edema. The macula is the portion of the retina that allows a person to see fine detail. If leakage or swelling occurs in the macula, the resulting vision loss can be devastating. If a diabetic has numerous microaneurysms, hemorrhages, and leakages, this can cause neovascularization. Neovascularization is the growth of new blood vessels in the retina. These new blood vessels hemorrhage very easily and can cause further devastating vision loss. Treatment Options For Diabetic Retinopathy Early detection is critical in maintaining healthy vision. . The earlier problems are detected and treated, the better outcome a person is likely to have. Several treatment options are available for diabetic retinopathy. Focal laser treatment is used to treat small areas of hemorrhage. Larger areas of hemorrhage may need to be treated using scatter laser therapy. In scatter treatment, a laser beam is used to produce many tiny burns scattered throughout the retina, sparing the macula. This slows the growth of new blood vessels and the development of hemorrhage and scar tissue. The newest line of defense in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy lies in the use of VEGF inhibitors injected into the eye. New blood vessel growth in the retina and increased leakage of fluid from retinal blood vessels is due to the presence of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor or VEGF. Three new drugs are available to help inhibit VEGF. These new drugs are Macugen, Lucentis, and Avastin. Studies of these new drugs are showing promising results. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University-Wilmer Eye Institute reported results indicating that Lucentis injections are useful as a treatment for diabetic retinopathy based on the findings in a small clinical trial in which there was significant visual improvement in people with early stages of proliferative diabetic retinopathy that received Lucentis Injections. In particular, those patients with thickening in their macula noticed dramatic improvement within a week after treatment, which actually continued to improve with repeated therapeutic injections. Similar results have been reported with Avastin Injections. Control Is The Key to Good Health Several factors influence whether someone with diabetes develops diabetic retinopathy. These include blood sugar control, blood pressure levels, and length of time with diabetes. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) showed that better control of blood sugar levels slows the onset and progression of retinopathy. The people with diabetes who kept their blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible also had much less kidney and nerve disease. Better control also reduces the need for sight-saving laser surgery. Other studies have shown that controlling elevated blood pressure and cholesterol can also reduce the risk of vision loss. Controlling these will help your overall health as well as help protect your vision. Links:
http://www.austinretina.com/base.html
http://www.eyemdlink.com/Condition.asp?ConditionID=3
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