(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The number of Americans with major eye diseases is
expected to drastically increase over the next several decades as more Americans
are diagnosed with diabetes, according to a new study.
"Vision loss related to eye disease among people with diabetes is an important
disability that threatens independence and can lead to depression, reduced
mobility and reduced quality of life," the study's authors wrote.
Diabetic retinopathy -- damage to the small blood vessels in the retina -- is
the leading cause of blindness among American adults. In 2004, for example, more
than $500 million was spent on direct medical costs for diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetics are also more likely to suffer from eye diseases such as cataracts and
glaucoma than the general population.
Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used published
data from the 2004 National Health Interview Survey and the U.S. Census Bureau
to estimate the number, age, sex and race/ethnicity of Americans with diabetes
that will suffer from the following eye conditions in 2050: diabetic
retinopathy, vision threatening diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts.
They estimated that from 2005 to 2050, diabetic retinopathy cases will increase
from 5.5 million to 16 million and vision threatening diabetic retinopathy cases
will rise from 1.2 million to 3.4 million. Also, cataract cases among whites and
blacks age 40 and older with diabetes will likely rise 235 percent; cataract
cases among people with diabetes who are over 75 will increase 637 percent for
black women and 677 percent for black men, the researchers said. The number of
glaucoma cases among Hispanics who are 65 and older with diabetes is expected to
increase 12-fold.
"Efforts to prevent diabetes and to optimally manage diabetes and its
complications are needed," the study's authors said.
SOURCE: Archives of Ophthalmology, December 2008
