The retina is formed by a layer of cells at the back of the eye. It works like the film in a camera to capture what you are seeing and to transmit to the brain. Diabetic retinopathy involves various retinal pathologic features of chronic diabetes.
This is a major cause of blindness, being especially severe in diabetics who require insulin (insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus), but also occurs frequently in non-insulin dependent long evolution. The degree of retinopathy is closely related to disease duration.
Causes
As diabetes develops, the abnormally high blood sugar will damage blood vessels, nerves and other structures. Certain sugar-derived substances accumulate in the walls of small blood vessels, causing thickening and breakage. By increasing the thickness of the vessels, they are increasingly unable to deliver less blood and produces the dreaded complications of the disease.
Epidemiology
Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults of working age. A person with diabetes are 25 times more likely to blind a person without the disease. Twenty-five percent of diabetics have some form of diabetic retinopathy.
