BlindnessDiabetic retinopathy causes 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness each year making diabetes the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age.

In people with type 1 diabetes, therapy that keeps blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible reduces damage to the eyes by 76% (New England Journal of Medicine, September 30, 1993). Experts believe that these results can also be applied to those with type 2 diabetes.

Mexican Americans are almost twice as likely and non-Hispanic blacks are almost 50% as likely to develop diabetic retinopathy as non-Hispanic whites.

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Christopher Berry
Diabetic Discussion