Prevalence of Diabetes and Eye Conditions May Be Intertwined

A higher prevalence of diabetes in the United States may partially account for an increase in serious eye conditions like cataracts and glaucoma, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 

In an analysis including 10,480 participants, researchers analyzed data on the relationship between the prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment and diabetes collected from 1999 to 2002 and 2005 to 2008 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. 

Patients from the earlier time period had a significantly lower prevalence of diabetes diagnosed at least 10 years prior to the study.  Prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment grew 21% over the 2 periods, with the risk factor for diabetic patients rising from 1.93 to 2.67. 

"If the current finding becomes a persisting trend, it could result in increasing rates of disability in the U.S. population, including greater numbers of patients with end-organ diabetic damage who would require ophthalmic care," they concluded.   

-Michael Potts