Prevent Blindness recognizes November as Diabetes-Related Eye Disease Awareness Month

(Image credit: Adobe Stock/lurii)

Prevent Blindness has designated November as Diabetes-Related Eye Disease Awareness Month to emphasize the importance of early detection and treatment of diabetes to prevent significant vision loss and blindness. The risk of eye complications increases with the duration of diabetes, making proactive eye care essential.¹

“Diabetes can significantly and negatively impact eye health, as well as overall health and quality of life,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “By working closely with healthcare professionals and adhering to medical advice, we can all contribute to protecting vision from the damaging effects of diabetes.”

To educate the public—including parents, caregivers, and allied health professionals—Prevent Blindness offers a range of free educational resources, including fact sheets, social media graphics, web pages, and educational videos in both English and Spanish.

Two primary forms of diabetes-related eye disease are:

• Diabetic Retinopathy: Diabetic retinopathy occurs when small blood vessels leak and bleed in the retina, potentially leading to blindness. It is a leading cause of blindness among American adults, affecting more than one in four individuals with diabetes.
• Diabetic Macular Edema: This condition arises when the small blood vessels in the macula, the central part of the retina, become leaky, causing retinal swelling and resulting in blurred vision.

Individuals with diabetes also face additional eye health risks. According to the National Eye Institute, people with diabetes are 2 to 5 times more likely to develop cataracts and at a younger age than those without diabetes. Diabetes nearly doubles the risk of developing open-angle glaucoma, a common form of glaucoma.¹

To raise awareness of the potential impact of diabetes on vision, Prevent Blindness has developed a comprehensive library of educational resources for both consumers and professionals, including:

• Diabetes + The Eyes Educational Toolkit: Available in English and Spanish, this resource includes PowerPoint presentations, fact sheets, shareable social media graphics, and a dedicated webpage. The toolkit is supported by funding from Regeneron.
• Focus on Diabetes Video Series: In collaboration with the American Diabetes Association, this series provides consumer-friendly educational videos as part of the "Focus on Diabetes" eye health initiative.

For more information and to access these free resources, visit Prevent Blindness at PreventBlidness.com.

The Juvenile Diabetes and Vision Health web resource, along with the accompanying Diabetes + Your Eyes: Vision Health in Youth fact sheets (available in English and Spanish), provides comprehensive information to guide parents and caregivers in helping youth with diabetes protect their eye health. These resources were developed with support from UnitedHealthcare.

Resources addressing diabetes-related vision loss and mental wellness include the Diabetes, Vision Loss, and Mental Wellness video, which features patient advocate Serena Valentine, mental health expert Melissa Taussig, and diabetes specialist Lisa Golden. Additionally, a Diabetes-related Eye Disease and Mental Health fact sheet is available in both English and Spanish, supported by funding from Regeneron and VSP Vision.¹

Reference

1, Mimecast TTP Web Portal. Mimecastprotect.com. Published 2024. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/etiPC1wDnDuxmLLqULfEHVjrNM?domain=preventblindness.org/