Prevent Blindness America Seeks to Educate Public About Growing Threat of Diabetic Eye Disease
Prevent Blindness America has declared November as Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month in order to help educate the public on diabetes prevention strategies, potential risk factors, treatment options and Medicare coverage policies. Learn more about the diabetes epidemic in the United States and how it continues to have a serious impact on health, especially on vision. According to the 2012 Vision Problems in the U.S. report from Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute, more than 7.6 million people ages 40 and older have diabetic retinopathy, an 89 percent increase from 10 years ago. Additionally, people with diabetes are at greater risk for other eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataract.
