| Disease | Injury | Nutrition | Poison |
| Special Topic | Surgery | Symptoms | Test |
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| Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention |
Diabetic retinopathy |
| Definition: |
| Diabetic retinopathy is progressive damage to the eye's retina caused by long-term diabetes. It can cause blindness.
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| Alternative Names: |
Retinopathy - diabetic |
| Causes, incidence, and risk factors: |
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans. People with both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are at risk for this condition. The likelihood and severity of retinopathy increase with the duration of diabetes and is likely to be worse if control of the diabetes is poor. Almost all people who have had diabetes for more than 30 years will show signs of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is caused by damage to blood vessels of the retina. In the earlier and less severe type (non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy), the existing blood vessels become porous and leak fluid into the retina, which leads to blurred vision. In the more advanced and severe type (proliferative retinopathy), growth of new blood vessels occurs within the eye. These new vessels are fragile and can hemorrhage, which causes loss of vision and scarring. |
Reviewed By: Raymond S. Douglas M.D., Ph.D. Department of Ophthalmology, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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