Published on May 21, 2024
Diabetes can affect all the structures in the eye, but the major effects are generally in the retina, which is the light-sensitive membrane that lines the back of each eye.Diabetes-related damage to the retina is called diabetic retinopathy (the major cause of which is high blood sugar levels), and can cause a variety of problems, including retinal bleeding, changes to the shape and course of blood flow within the retina, and thickening and swelling of the center of the retina (diabetic macular edema). Diabetic macular edema is the leading cause of moderate vision loss. Patients with diabetes are also at a higher risk for cataracts (a clouding of the lens at the front of the eye).In addition to high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are also factors in retinal complications and vision loss. The major cause of all three—high blood sugar, high blood pressure and high cholesterol—is obesity!If you’re overweight or obese, make weight loss a priority NOW and see yourself to good health.
