It really blows us away when friends and family members tell us it has been “years” since they see their eye doctor.

How would your life change if we told you this is all you could see?

Do you know what the leading cause of preventable blindness is?

Well, it’s Diabetic retinopathy and if it doesn’t scare you, this article will.

The most recent diabetes statistics blew us away, and we felt we MUST share them with as many people as we can because clearly, it is something we do not have a good handle on here in the US!

• 30.3 Million people in the US have Diabetes
– 23.1 Million of these people have been DIAGNOSED
– 7.2 Million have NOT been DIAGNOSED!
• There are 84.1 Million who are classified as “Pre-diabetic” and 23.1 million are 65 years or older
• Diabetic Retinopathy is the leading cause of preventable blindness in working-aged adults
• Currently about 8 Million Americans have Diabetic Retinopathy and it is expected to increase to 11 Million by 2030
• 60% of Diabetes Mellitus patients do NOT receive regular follow up eye exams

So how do you PREVENT the progression of Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetic Macular Edema – keep healthy blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels and glycemic levels!

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR YOUR VISION – GET YOUR EYES EXAMINED!

To conclude we want to share the stat that killed us the most:

• Approximately 30% of Type 2 Diabetic patients already have Diabetic Retinopathy at the time they are diagnosed with diabetes.

AKA — It could have been caught sooner if the patient had just had an eye exam!

We know we sound like a broken record…but statistics prove, getting your eyes checked regularly could definitely improve your chances of not significantly losing your vision to something like diabetes!

Call us today to book an eye exam with any of our physicians.  If you already are 1 of the 30.3 Million with Diabetes, make an appointment with one of our 3 retina specialists – Dr. Louis Kasner, Dr. Pedro Lopez and Dr. Andrew Schimel – to see how they can really help you!