Who Is at Risk of Diabetic Eye Disease & Diabetic Retinopathy?

​As the name suggests, diabetic eye disease and diabetic retinopathy affect people with diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you are at risk. The longer you have the disease, the more likely it is that you will develop diabetic eye disease and diabetic retinopathy. It is for this reason that we ask anyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes to have a complete eye examination yearly. 
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Early detection and treatment can prevent or minimize vision loss. Without regular eye exams, your vision is at even higher risk for diabetic eye disease, as both diabetic retinopathy and associated macular edema can occur and be present without noticeable vision loss.

​​But are there other risk factors that influence the development of diabetic retinopathy, as well as its severity? The answer is simple: Yes. These risk factors are important to understand and, when possible, control. Controlling and minimizing risk factors can decrease your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, as well as minimize its severity or progression. Let’s dive in. 
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Risk Factors for Diabetic Eye Disease and Diabetic Retinopathy

The following risk factors influence the development and severity of diabetic eye disease and diabetic retinopathy:

• Duration of diabetes: The longer you have diabetes, the higher your risk of developing diabetic eye disease.

• Poor control of blood sugar levels: Consistently high blood sugar increases risk of development and progression of diabetic eye disease.

• High blood pressure: High blood pressure damages blood vessels, increasing the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

• High cholesterol / triglycerides: High blood lipid (fat) levels can increase the risk of vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy.

• Pregnancy: Pregnancy changes your eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, “If you have diabetes and become pregnant, your risk for diabetic retinopathy increases. If you already have diabetic retinopathy, it may progress.” The good news is that, according to the AAO, “some studies have suggested that with treatment these changes are reversed after you give birth and that there is no increase in long-term progression of the disease.”

• Tobacco use: Tobacco use can contribute to high blood pressure and high blood lipid levels, both of which increase the risk of diabetic retinopathy as we have discussed.

• Being African American, Hispanic, or Native American: People belonging to these three ethnic groups are at higher risk of developing diabetes, which thereby increases risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. While ethnicity cannot be controlled, it is important to understand the increased risk associated with these ethnicities.

 
If you have any of these risk factors for diabetes and diabetic eye disease or diabetic retinopathy, speak with your primary care doctor and your ophthalmologist about ways to minimize your risk factors. It could make the difference between seeing and not seeing.
 
If you have been diagnosed or living with diabetes and need to see an ophthalmologist who specializes in diabetic eye disease, please call our office at 508-746-8600 to schedule an appointment with one of our diabetic eye disease specialists:

• Eddie F. Kadrmas, MD, PhD
• Lawrence I. Rand, MD

 
If you have diabetes and / or risk factors for diabetes and diabetic eye disease, be sure to read our last post in this series: How Can Diabetic Eye Disease Be Prevented or Controlled?

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