Did you know that estimates show 1 in every 5 people in the Bronx has been diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus? With many more going undiagnosed? Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss for people with diabetes. But diabetes can also make you more likely to develop several other eye conditions: 

• Cataracts: Having diabetes makes you 2 to 5 times more likely to develop cataracts. It also makes you more likely to get them at a younger age.
• Open-angle glaucoma: Having diabetes nearly doubles your risk of developing a type of glaucoma called open-angle glaucoma.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in patients from 20- 74 years of age in the United States. Up to 80% of patients with diabetes mellitus for at least 20 years have some form of diabetic retinopathy. With these staggering numbers, we are dedicated to getting the word out if you are diagnosed with diabetes, and have routine eye examinations. Why? Because early detection, timely treatment, and appropriate follow-up care can reduce and even prevent the severity of diabetic eye disease. Diabetes can affect different parts of the eye but the most common form of diabetic eye disease is diabetic retinopathy. The retina is affected because diabetes damages blood vessels over time. The retinal vasculature is particularly susceptible to damage leading to diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy falls into 2 broad categories- nonproliferation and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy refers to changes in the retina such as bleeding, vessel closure changes, and leakage from vessels into the retina. In general, patients typically lose vision in nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy due to swelling within the macula referred to as diabetic macular edema (DME), and loss of function due to vessel closure known as ischemia. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy refers to the growth of new blood vessels from the retinal vasculature in response to signaling from retinal cells that are not getting adequate circulation due to vessel closure. As the retinal elements suffer from a lack of circulation, they release vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that drives these changes.

Treatment of diabetic retinopathy centers around arresting the leakage of the retinal vasculature and eliminating, or at the least halting the growth and progression, of new blood vessels. Office procedures such as laser photocoagulation, anti-VEGF medications, and intraocular steroids are the main tools used by retinal specialists to treat diabetic retinopathy in the office. Surgical treatments are available as well for more advanced diabetic retinopathy complications.

Despite treatments provided by Ophthalmologists, experience has shown us that the most effective treatment for diabetic retinopathy is long-term blood sugar control. This can be accomplished through a team effort including the ophthalmologist, primary care doctor, endocrinologist, and the most important part of the equation - the patient.