Diabetes in the Eye

What is diabetic eye disease?

• Diabetic retinopathy affects blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue called the retina that lines the back of the eye. It is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes and the leading cause of vision impairment and blindness among working-age adults.
• Diabetic macular edema (DME). A consequence of diabetic retinopathy, DME is swelling of the macula, which causes decreased vision.

Diabetic eye disease also includes cataract and glaucoma:

• Cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. Adults with diabetes are 2-5 times more likely than those without diabetes to develop cataract. Cataract also tends to develop at an earlier age in those with diabetes.
• Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the eye’s optic nerve—the bundle of nerve fibers that connects the eye to the brain. Some types of glaucoma are associated with elevated pressure inside the eye. In adults, diabetes nearly doubles the risk of glaucoma.