Diabetes is the Leading Cause of Blindness in Minnesota; Minnesota Optometric Association Says Annual Eye Exams Are Critical for Early Detection; November is American Diabetes Month.

Health/Medical Editors/Assignment Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 2003

The increase in obesity and decrease in exercise is taking its toll on Minnesotans. These two risk factors are the leading causes of preventable type 2 diabetes in the State. According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), more than one in 18 Minnesotans have diabetes. Nearly every 38 minutes a doctor tells someone for the first time they have diabetes.

In addition to the risks of cardiovascular disease and strokes, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among people aged 20-74 in Minnesota. according to the Minnesota Optometric Association (MOA). Each year, says the MDH, between 400 and 700 Minnesotans go blind due to diabetes complications. Even when blood sugar is controlled, 60% of those having diabetes for more than 15 years will experience some form of diabetic eye disease in their lifetime.

Diabetic retinopathy, the most common diabetic eye disease, is the leading cause of blindness in Minnesota, and overall in the United States. It, along with glaucoma and cataracts, can be detected early and treated through yearly dilated eye exams, according to the American Diabetes Association. As November is American Diabetes Month, it is an opportune time to raise awareness about this issue.

"Diabetic eye disease, which includes diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma, may be developing before you know you have a problem," says Dr. Pat Wellik, a family eye doctor in Apple Valley. "That is why it is so important to have a yearly eye exam."

Currently, only eight in 10 Minnesotans with diabetes have a dilated eye exam every two years. "While it is important for all people to have yearly eye exams, it is even more critical for diabetic patients to come in every year," urges Dr. Wellik. "Waiting two years or even worse, not coming in at all, can have a catastrophic effect."

Diabetic retinopathy is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, retinal blood vessels may swell and leak fluid; in others, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. These changes may result in vision loss or blindness.

Cataracts occur when the normally clear lens in the eye becomes cloudy, impairing vision. Clouded vision may make it more difficult to read, drive, or see clearly. Glaucoma, an increase in fluid pressure inside the eye, leads to optic nerve damage and vision loss.

"Many people don't know that diabetics are twice as likely to suffer from both cataracts and glaucoma," Dr. Wellik continues. "Again, both conditions are easily caught and successfully treated through an annual eye exam."

To help prevent diabetic eye diseases, the American Diabetes Association recommends people suffering from diabetes should:

-- Keep your blood sugar under good control. People who keep

their blood sugar levels closer to normal are less likely to

have retinopathy.

-- Bring high blood pressure down. High blood pressure can make

eye problems worse.

-- Get a dilated eye exam by a family eye doctor every year. Your

optometrist will use drops to enlarge your pupils to look

inside your eyes.

"Even if you have your diabetes under good control, it is very important to get a yearly eye exam as part of your overall stay-healthy plan," Wellik advises.

The Minnesota Optometric Association recommends you see your family eye doctor right way if you have any of the following problems:

-- Your vision is blurry.

-- You see double, spots or floaters 

-- One or both eyes hurt

-- You feel pressure in your eye

-- You can't see things at the periphery as well as before

-- You have trouble reading

The Minnesota Optometric Association has 525 member doctors of optometry around the state. The MOA is committed to furthering awareness of optometrists as primary eye care or family eye doctors and to bringing about change that positively impacts the MOA member doctors and their patients. For more information on the MOA, visit www.MnEyeDocs.org.