ABSTRACT
Diabetic eye disease is a major public health concern. Retinopathy associated with diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of new cases of legal blindness (visual acuity of 20/200 or less) in the United States in persons between the ages of 20 and 74. Diabetic retinopathy is also a leading cause of blindness in England, Wales, Scotland, the Netherlands, and other developed countries. Over the past 30 years, growth in our knowledge of the epidemiology and pathogenesis and advances in technology have greatly enhanced our ability to treat diabetic eye disease. Studies have determined that the ocular complications of diabetes can be minimized by maintaining strict control of blood sugar levels. The efficacy of treatment modalities, such as laser photocoagulation, in minimizing diabetic blindness has also been proved. In this chapter, we will discuss how the advances in our understanding of diabetic eye disease have positively influenced our ability to minimize the devastating complication of diabetes-induced blindness.
