Key Facts About Diabetic Retinopathy for Your Patients and Staff

There are 537 million people in the world living with diabetes.¹ Up to 80% of individuals with diabetes will eventually develop some stage of diabetic retinopathy.² And the longer a person has diabetes, the more likely they are to develop diabetic retinopathy.

What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among adults 20 to 74 years of age. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels in the retina causing them to swell and hemorrhage, ultimately distorting vision once progressed to severe levels.

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the buildup of fluid in the macula. DME is a consequence of diabetic retinopathy and can occur at any stage as the disease progresses.

There Are No Early Symptoms

There are typically no symptoms in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, allowing the disease to progress until it affects vision. Once symptoms appear, vision loss may be permanent, even with treatment. Symptoms that indicate advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy include:

• Blurry vision
• Halos around lights
• Seeing blank or dark areas in your field of vision
• Loss of color vision
• Floating spots

Early Detection Is Key

The American Diabetes Association recommends that all diabetic patients receive an annual diabetic retinal exam with an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Unfortunately, only about 60% of patients with diabetes visit the eye specialist for annual retinal exams.² To help increase compliance, new technology has been developed to bring diabetic retinal exams into primary care settings.

Teleretinal imaging allows diabetic patients to receive their diabetic retinal exam during their routine appointment. Images of the patient’s retina are obtained via retinal camera and digitally read by a remote eye specialist. Results can be returned to the patient in as quickly as one day with select care delivery models. As a result, diabetic retinal exam compliance rates can increase up to 90% within one year.³

What Can You Do?

95% of vision loss cases are preventable with early detection and treatment. Diabetic patients can help manage their disease by:

• Taking prescribed medications
• Avoiding tobacco use
• Managing blood pressure and cholesterol
• Focusing on healthy eating
• Exercising on a regular basis
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Receiving an annual comprehensive eye exam

To help educate your patients and staff, we’ve created a helpful infographic that conveys the importance of an early diabetic retinopathy diagnosis.