Risk Factors

Anyone with diabetes is at risk – both people with Type I diabetes (juvenile onset) and those with Type II diabetes (adult onset). During pregnancy, diabetic retinopathy may also be a problem for women with diabetes. It is recommended that all pregnant women with diabetes have dilated eye examinations each trimester to protect their vision.

The longer someone has diabetes, the more likely he or she will get diabetic retinopathy. Nearly half of all people with diabetes will develop some degree of diabetic retinopathy during their lifetime. Because diabetes itself is often present for some time before it is first diagnosed, it is important that diabetic patients have a dilated eye exam when diabetes is first detected and at least once a year thereafter – even if no eye symptoms are apparent.

If you have diabetes, you are also at risk for other eye diseases. Studies show that you are twice as likely to get a cataract as a person who does not have the disease. Also, cataracts develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes. Cataracts can usually be treated by surgery.

Glaucoma may also become a problem. A person with diabetes is nearly twice as likely to get glaucoma as other adults. And, as with diabetic retinopathy, the longer you have had diabetes, the greater your risk of getting glaucoma. Glaucoma may be treated with medications, laser or other forms of surgery.