Join the fight against diabetes.
Half of all diabetes-related eye diseases can be prevented by early detection.
Eye health professionals have an important role.
Now it is more important than ever for eye health professionals to help their patient's to reduce their risk of developing diabetes and related eye diseases. Ophthalmologists and optometrists are well positioned as they may be the first to see a person with, or at risk for, diabetes and can serve as the first line of detection for diabetes or pre-diabates.
The global diabetes epidemic.
Diabetes is one of the world's biggest health challenges and the leading cause of new blindness in people 20 to 74 years of age. It is estimated that 150 million people worldwide have diabetes, and these rates are increasing. People with diabetes are up to 20 times more likely to be blind than people without diabetes.
Diabetes can go silently undetected for a long time without symptoms; type 2-diabetes can be undetected for up to 10 years before it is diagnosed. It has been estimated that one-third of all adults with diabetes don’t even know they have it. The first time some of these people are diagnosed with this condition is when they have serious medical and visual problems. People with undetected diabetes are at high risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, kidney diseases and nerve damage.
HbA1c - the most reliable preventive test.
It's is estimated that half of all diabetes and related eye diseases could be prevented by early detection, treatments and changes in lifestyles. While ophthalmoscopy and digital photography tests can detect already developed diabetes-related eye complications; the only reliable early-stage detection method is measurement of glycated haemoglobin.