Diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. Proper eye care with regular visits is one way to reduce your risk of vision loss secondary to diabetes. In addition, excellent treatment and control of your diabetes is another way to minimize risk. A1C blood tests is an excellent indicator of diabetic eye disease. A study conducted by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently found that hemoglobin A1C levels found with blood tests are a significantly stronger indicator of diabetic retinopathy compared to fasting blood sugar levels. A1C testing is a better indicator of blood glucose (sugar) levels over a longer period of time compared to information from fasting blood glucose levels, which only indicate what is happening at the time of the test.
Tighter control of blood sugar for diabetics over prolonged periods of time have been shown to result in lower rates and severity of complications from diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy results when the walls of retinal blood vessels become weak and leak blood (retinal hemorrhages), lipids, and other elements. The leakage can cause central retinal swelling (macula edema) with associated reduction of vision, or the ultimate formation of abnormal retinal blood vessels (retinal neovascularization) which can cause diabetic retinal detachments and bleeding .
Diabetic eye disease is one of the primary causes of blindness in the United States. Your doctors at NSVC are highly experienced in the diagnosis and management of patients with diabetic eye disease. We use the most current and advanced technologies to detect and treat diabetic retinopathy. If you are diabetic, it is critical to have an annual comprehensive eye health examination. It is your best insurance policy to preserve your vision. In fact, a study at Duke University demonstrated that diabetics who received regular eye care as prescribed by their doctor had a significantly lower rate of vision loss due to diabetes!