Diabetic Retinopathy Predicts Cardiovascular Events

The presence and severity of diabeticretinopathy seems to predict the risk of future cardiovascular (CV) events such as heart attack and stroke. In fact, there appears to be a rather close association between diabetic retinopathy and having a heart attack or stroke.

Diabetic Retinopathy, Heart Attack & Stroke Risk

The relationship between diabeticretinopathy, its 4-year progression, and CV outcomes including CV death or nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke was analyzed in participants in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) Trial who also participated in the ACCORD Eye Study. The diabetic retinopathy was classified as either none, mild, moderate, or severe and whether it was worsening was also graded. The hazard of CV death or nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke increased by 38% for every category of change in retinopathy severity and steps of progression further raised the hazard. Thus the researchers believe that both the severity of retinopathy and its progression are determinants of predisposition to CV outcomes.

If you or someone you know has questions about how diabetic retinopathy indicates the risk of heart attack or stroke, please feel free to call Center for Sight at 508-730-2020, visit www.center-for-sight.com or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island. 

Risks of Diabetic Eye Problems Reduced with Eye Exams

The risks of diabetic eye disease and eye problems fromdiabetes can be reduced with regular eye exams. The vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented if it's caught early and treated in time. More than one third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not adhere to vision care guidelines recommending a dilated eye exam every year. As part of Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month we are urging people with diabetes to have a dilated eye exam every year.

About Diabetes & Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes affects 25.8 million people in the United States and is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age. There are almost 8 million people ages 40 and older that have diabetic retinopathy-a sharply increasing number! It is terribly disturbing to see the dramatic spike in diabetic retinopathy cases, a consequence of the diabetes epidemic that this country is experiencing-with no end in sight! The longer a person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. However, diabetic retinopathy does not only affect people who have had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year or two after the onset of the disease.

Preventing Vision Loss from Diabetes & Diabetic Retinopathy

In addition to having regular eye examinations and testing at the direction of your eye doctor, patients can help to reduce the risk of developing diabetic eye disease by not smoking, controlling their cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, as well as eating a heart-healthy diet and exercising. 

If you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems with regular eye exams. Feel free to call Center for Sight at 508-730-2020, visit www.center-for-sight.com or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.

Center forSight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.