The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) is a public health association for chronic disease program directors of each state and U.S. territory. Since its founding in 1988, NACDD has been a national leader in the effort to reduce chronic diseases by mobilizing its members to advocate for preventive policies and programs, encourage knowledge sharing and develop model partnerships for health promotion through state and community-based prevention strategies.
Diabetes is a growing epidemic. Nearly 24 million people in the United States (U.S.) have diabetes, yet one-fourth of them do not know they have it.(1) In addition, 57 million people in the U.S. have pre-diabetes, and most are unaware they have the condition. Diabetic retinopathy, a disease that damages blood vessels of the eye in people with diabetes, can occur even during the pre-diabetes stage.
The best method for detecting diabetic retinopathy is a comprehensive eye exam. A regular eye exam provides healthcare professionals a clear view of the blood vessels in the eye; and abnormalities in these blood vessels are indicative of many known health conditions, including diabetes. Early detection can not only save patients’ eyesight but also alert them to the presence of disease before it causes serious damage.
An eyecare exam is more than just a way to get glasses and contacts; it’s an integral part of the healthcare continuum.
Additional Information:
• Diabetic retinopathy can occur up to seven years before diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, and up to 21% of people with type 2 diabetes have retinopathy when they are first diagnosed with diabetes. This means an eye exam could lead to an earlier diagnosis for people who do not know they have the disease.(2)
• Early detection and treatment through an annual eye exam can prevent most vision loss related to diabetes.(3)
• Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age.
• Individuals with diabetes are 40 percent more likely to develop glaucoma and 60 percent more likely to develop cataracts than those without diabetes.
• The risk of developing diabetic retinopathy increases with the number of years you've had diabetes. After 15 years with the disease, almost 80 percent of people with type 1 diabetes have some form of diabetic eye disease.
• In people with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy more than doubles their risk of developing heart failure.(4)
• In a 2006 analysis of BRFSS in five states, prevalence of diabetic retinopathy ranged from 2.7% to 4.3%.
• 93,000 new cases of blindness each year could have been prevented through timely detection and treatment.(5)
1. National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2007, CDC
2. Onset of NIDDM occurs at least 4-7 yr before clinical diagnosis, Diabetes Care, Vol 15, Issue 7 815-819
3. American Diabetes Association
4. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, April 22, 2008
5. Prevent Blindness America
