Diabetic retinopathy

From WikiCover

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in American and European adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that there are 17 million people with diabetes in the United States. During the first two decades of the disease, more than 60 percent of diabetes patients will develop retinopathy. Blood vessels damaged from diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss in two ways. First, fragile, abnormal blood vessels can develop and leak blood into the center of the eye, blurring vision. This is proliferative retinopathy and is the most advanced stage of the disease. Second, fluid can leak into the center of the macula, the part of the eye where sharp, straight-ahead vision occurs. The fluid makes the macula swell, blurring vision. This condition is called macular edema. It can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy, although it is more likely to occur as the disease progresses. About half of the people with proliferative retinopathy also have macular edema.