Are you receiving adequate eye-care?

The authors aimed to evaluate eye care and awareness of eye disease among persons with diabetic macular edema.

Diabetic retinopathy (eye disease related to diabetes complications) is the most common cause of new cases of blindness or less severe forms of visual impairment in working-age Americans. As this condition can lead to substantial visual loss if left untreated for 1 year or longer, health care providers need to ensure that individuals with diabetes are aware that the condition can affect their eyes, particularly those with diabetic macular edema ( DME; swelling of the retina in diabetes due to the leaking of fluid from blood vessels in the eye). DME can occur any time throughout the history of retinopathy, but more often as the disease progresses.

The authors aimed to characterize the prevalence of eye care and the awareness of eye disease and visual impairment among persons with diabetic macular edema (DME) in the general population.

The authors evaluated 798 people with self-reported diabetes. 238 participants (29.8%) had diabetic retinopathy without DME and 48 (6%) had DME.

Of those with DME, only 44.7% reported being told by a physician that diabetes had affected their eyes or that they had retinopathy. Of those with retinopathy without DME, 26.1% reported the same. 

Only 49.2% of those with DME reported seeing a diabetes nurse educator, a dietician or a nutritionist for their diabetes within the past year compared to 33.5% of those with retinopathy but no DME, and 30.5% of those without retinopathy.

46.7% of those with DME reported seeing a diabetes specialist more than one year ago or never compared to 64.7% of those with retinopathy but without DME, and 69.5% of those with no retinopathy. Only 59.7% of those with DME reported having an eye examination within the past year at which the pupils were dilated, compared with 67.5% of those with retinopathy but without DME, and 61.8% of those without retinopathy.

The authors suggested that many individuals with DME report not receiving prompt diabetes-related or eye-related care, although many are at risk of substantial visual loss that could be lessened or eliminated with appropriate care.

If suffering from diabetic retinopathy, think about establishing a suitable eye-care plan with your physician.