On this World Diabetes Day, it's important to make the link between diabetes and the eyes.
Indeed, diabetes increases the risk of many eye diseases, the main one being diabetic retinopathy, which damages the blood vessels inside the retina at the back of the eye. Left untreated, it can lead to vision loss. Poorly controlled blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and high cholesterol all increase the risk.
Since diabetic retinopathy is initially asymptomatic, many people with diabetes are unaware that their condition, if left untreated, can affect their vision and lead to blindness.
A holistic approach to health
In addition to annual eye examinations and high-quality follow-up care, the best way to prevent diabetic retinopathy is to educate patients to change their eating habits.
According to the IAPB: "103 million people suffer from some form of diabetic retinopathy - 22.3% of all people with diabetes have some form of diabetic retinopathy (Teo et al., 2021)." Source