As the number of Americans with diabetes continues to increase, so does the expected increase in the number of cases of major eye disease including diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma.
Today, there are more than 23 million Americans, or close to 8 percent, who have diabetes. Projections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the number will balloon to 48 million by the year 2050.
Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age.
A new study* also predicts a dramatic increase in the number of eye disease cases in Hispanic and African American populations. The research estimates that Hispanics with diabetes in all age groups will have substantially large increases in diabetes-related eye disease. African Americans are five times more likely than Caucasians to develop glaucoma. Rates for African Americans with diabetes with glaucoma are expected to rise the most among those age 50 and older, and the rates of cataracts for those 75 and older is expected to increase more than 600 percent in woman and close to 700 percent in men.
In an effort to educate the public on diabetes and its potential effect on vision, Prevent Blindness Georgia has declared November as Diabetic Eye Disease Month. For free information to patients on diabetic eye disease, risk factors, treatment options and Medicare benefits through our Web site, please visit www.preventblindness.org/diabetes.
Filed under: Eye care, Research Finds | Tagged: risk factors, Caucasian, diabetic retinopathy, african-american, diabetes, CDC, hispanic, eye disease, diabetic eye disease month, november
