(NAPSI)—For the nearly 40 million Americans living with diabetes, the threat to their vision unfolds quietly, often without warning. Diabetic retinopathy, a complication that damages blood vessels in the retina, has become the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults in the United States. Yet what makes this epidemic particularly tragic is that it doesn’t have to be this way.
“The vast majority of severe vision loss from diabetic retinopathy is preventable,” said Janice C. Law, MD, retina specialist in Tennessee. “Studies show that regular eye examinations and timely interventions can reduce the risk of severe vision loss by 90 percent.”
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm$E:==[ >2?J p>6C:42?D 2C6 72==:?8 E9C@F89 E96 4C24<D] ~?=J 23@FE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J6\962=E9^?6HD^D:IEJ\A6C46?E\D<:A\5:236E:4\6J6\6I2>DQ C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qme_ A6C46?Ek^2m @7 A6@A=6 H:E9 5:236E6D C646:G6 E96 2??F2= 5:=2E65 6J6 6I2>:?2E:@?D C64@>>6?565 3J E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J6\962=E9^E:AD\AC6G6?E:@?^6J6\6I2>D\`_`Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmp>6C:42? p4256>J @7 ~A9E92=>@=@8Jk^2m[ 2 D9@CE72== 5C:G6? 3J =24< @7 2446DD[ 2H2C6?6DD[ 2?5 E:>6] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmkDEC@?8mtIA2?5:?8 p446DD E@ r2C6k^DEC@?8mkDEC@?8m k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmx7 J@F @C D@>6@?6 J@F 42C6 23@FE 92D 5:236E6D[ D4965F=6 2 5:=2E65 6J6 6I2> E@52J] &?:?DFC65 @C F?56C:?DFC65n $66 :7 J@F BF2=:7J 7@C 2 ?@ @FE\@7\A@4<6E 4@DE >65:42= 6J6 6I2> E9C@F89 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J642C6\2>6C:42Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmtJ6r2C6 p>6C:42k^2mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J642C6\2>6C:42Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm®k^2m] %9:D AF3=:4 D6CG:46 AC@8C2> >2E496D G@=F?E66C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J6\962=E9^E:AD\AC6G6?E:@?^H92E\:D\@A9E92=>@=@8:DEQ C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm@A9E92=>@=@8:DEDk^2m[ A9JD:4:2?D H9@ DA64:2=:K6 :? >65:42= 2?5 DFC8:42= 6J6 42C6[ H:E9 6=:8:3=6 A2E:6?ED 2865 `g 2?5 @=56C H9@ ?665 6J6 42C6] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J642C6\2>6C:42Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmHHH]k^2mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J642C6\2>6C:42Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm22@]@C8^6J642C6\2>6C:42k^2m E@ =62C? >@C6] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmkDEC@?8m(96? E@ $66 2 s@4E@Ck^DEC@?8mkDEC@?8m k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmx? :ED 62C=J DE286D[ 5:236E:4 C6E:?@A2E9J @7E6? AC6D6?ED ?@ DJ>AE@>D 2E 2==—2 724E E92E F?56CD4@C6D E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 AC6G6?E:G6 D4C66?:?8 C2E96C E92? H2:E:?8 7@C AC@3=6>D E@ 6>6C86] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“tG6? :7 J@FC G:D:@? D66>D 7:?6[ 2 J62C=J 5:=2E65 6J6 6I2> :D :>A@CE2?E[” D2:5 sC] {2H] “qJ E96 E:>6 A2E:6?ED ?@E:46 7=2D9:?8 =:89ED[ 3=FCC65 G:D:@?[ 7=@2E:?8 DA@ED[ @C @E96C H2C?:?8 D:8?D[ E96 5:D62D6 >2J 92G6 2=C625J AC@8C6DD65 D:8?:7:42?E=J]” k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmkDEC@?8m(96? D9@F=5 2 A6CD@? H:E9 5:236E6D 92G6 2? 6J6 6I2>nk^DEC@?8mkDEC@?8m k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmx7 J@F 92G6 EJA6 ` 5:236E6D[ J@F D9@F=5 92G6 6J6 6I2>:?2E:@?D 2E =62DE J62C=J 368:??:?8 d J62CD 27E6C 36:?8 5:28?@D65 H:E9 5:236E6D] *@FC @A9E92=>@=@8:DE >2J C64@>>6?5 >@C6 7C6BF6?E 6I2>:?2E:@?D] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmx7 J@F 92G6 EJA6 a 5:236E6D[ J@F D9@F=5 D66 2? @A9E92=>@=@8:DE 2E =62DE J62C=J 2D D@@? J@F 2C6 5:28?@D65[ C682C5=6DD @7 J@FC 286] u@==@H J@FC 6J6 5@4E@C’D C64@>>6?52E:@? 23@FE 9@H @7E6? J@F D9@F=5 36 C64964<65[ 2D E9:D G2C:6D 7@C 6G6CJ :?5:G:5F2=] *@F >2J ?665 E@ 92G6 J@FC 6J6D 4964<65 >@C6 @7E6? E92? @?46 2 J62C] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmqFE 5:236E6D :D?’E E96 @?=J C62D@? E@ D66 2? @A9E92=>@=@8:DE] p== 962=E9J 25F=ED D9@F=5 92G6 2 4@>AC696?D:G6 6J6 6I2> 3J 286 c_ H96? 62C=J D:8?D @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J6\962=E9^5:D62D6D^H92E\2C6\42E2C24EDQ C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm42E2C24Ek^2m[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J6\962=E9^5:D62D6D^H92E\:D\8=2F4@>2Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm8=2F4@>2k^2m[ 2?5 2k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J6\962=E9^5:D62D6D^2>5\>24F=2C\5686?6C2E:@?Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm86\C6=2E65 >24F=2C 5686?6C2E:@?k^2mn>2J 368:? E@ 6>6C86] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm“u@CEJ :D EJA:42==J H96? DF3E=6 D:8?D @7 6J6 5:D62D6 368:? E@ 6>6C86[” {2FC2 r] u:?6[ |s[ 492:C @7 tJ6r2C6 p>6C:42[ 6IA=2:?65] “|2?J E:>6D[ A6@A=6 5@?’E 6G6? ?@E:46 2?J 492?86D E@ E96:C G:D:@? 5FC:?8 E96D6 62C=J A92D6D @7 5:D62D6] w@H6G6C[ G:D:@?\D2G:?8 EC62E>6?ED 2C6 >@DE 67764E:G6 H96? E96 5:D62D6 :D 42F89E 62C=J]” k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmkDEC@?8m%96 %C62E>6?E v2Ak^DEC@?8mkDEC@?8m k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm~A9E92=>@=@8:DED 92G6 >@C6 E@@=D E92? 6G6C 367@C6 7@C 5:28?@D:?8 2?5 EC62E:?8 6J6 5:D62D6D] qFE E96D6 :??@G2E:@?D 42??@E 96=A A2E:6?ED H9@D6 5:D62D6 8@6D F?5:28?@D65 @C H9@ C6>2:? F?2H2C6 @7 E96:C 4@?5:E:@?’D D6G6C:EJ] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm%96 >6DD286 :D 4=62Ci %96 E649?@=@8J E@ D2G6 D:89E 6I:DED] (92E’D ?66565 ?@H :D >2<:?8 DFC6 E92E 6G6CJ@?6 H9@ ?665D :E 42? 2446DD :E :? E:>6] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmx7 J@F’C6 F?:?DFC65 @C F?56C:?DFC65[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J642C6\2>6C:42Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmtJ6r2C6 p>6C:42k^2m >2J 36 23=6 E@ 96=A J@F[ E@@] $66 :7 J@F BF2=:7J 7@C 2 ?@ @FE\@7\A@4<6E 4@DE >65:42= 6J6 6I2> 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]22@]@C8^6J642C6\2>6C:42Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmHHH]22@]@C8^6J642C6\2>6C:42k^2m] k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qmk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm(@C5 r@F?Ei db`k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`Qm k^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQ4=:4<\E@\EH66EQmk6>mkDA2? 4=2DDlQEH66E\3FEE@?Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^:?E6?E^EH66EnE6IElTtaTg_Thr%96Ta_G2DETa_>2;@C:EJTa_@7Ta_D6G6C6Ta_G:D:@?Ta_=@DDTa_7C@>Ta_5:236E:4Ta_C6E:?@A2E9JTa_:DTa_AC6G6?E23=6TarTtaTg_ThsTa_D2:5Ta_y2?:46Ta_r]Ta_{2HTarTa_|sTarTa_C6E:?2Ta_DA64:2=:DE]U2>Aj@C:8:?2=0C676C6Cl9EEADi^^4=:4<E@EH66E]4@>U2>AjC6=2E65l4=:4<E@EH66EQ E2C86ElQ?6HQmk:>8 4=2DDlQEH:EE6C\3FEE@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]>J?6HDE@FD6]4@>^:>286D^4=:4<E@EH66E];A68Q 2=ElQQ 96:89ElQa_Q ^m k^2mk^DA2?mkDA2? 4=2DDlQ4@AJQmQ“%96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 D6G6C6 G:D:@? =@DD 7C@> 5:236E:4 C6E:?@A2E9J :D AC6G6?E23=6[” D2:5 y2?:46 r] {2H[ |s[ C6E:?2 DA64:2=:DE]Qk^DA2?mk^6>mk^5:Gm
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQ4@AJQm k^DA2?mk^Am
k5:G :5lQD3\4@?E2:?6C @?\=67EQ 4=2DDlQ}@?!C:?E23=6Qm k^5:Gm
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.