Diabetics Affect Eyes

Although individuals with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts at a younger age and are twice as likely to develop glaucoma as are non-diabetics, the primary vision problem caused by diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of new cases of blindness and low vision in adults aged 20-65:

* "Retinopathy" is a general term that describes damage to the retina.

* The retina is a thin, light-sensitive tissue that lines the inside surface of the eye. Nerve cells in the retina convert incoming light into electrical impulses.

* These electrical impulses are carried by the optic nerve to the brain, which interprets them as visual images.

* Diabetic retinopathy occurs when there is damage to the small blood vessels that nourish tissue and nerve cells in the retina.

* "Proliferative" is a general term that means to grow or increase at a rapid rate by producing new tissue or cells. When the term

* "proliferative" is used in relation to diabetic retinopathy, it describes the growth, or proliferation, of abnormal new blood vessels in the retina. "Non-proliferative" indicates that this process is not yet occurring.

* Proliferative diabetic retinopathy affects approximately 1 in 20 individuals with the disease.