Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy: Introduction

Retinal eye problems are the more serious eye problem for diabetics. In fact, retinopathy is so common in diabetics that it has its own name: either "diabetic retinopathy" or the worst form "proliferative diabetic retinopathy" (PDR). These are a long-term side effect of diabetes, particularly from long-term high blood sugars, but can also be present at diagnosis, especially for Type 2 diabetes. Retinopathy risks increase the longer you have had diabetes, and are thus uncommon in temporary conditions like gestational diabetes.

Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy

• Blurred vision
• Flashes
• Floaters
• Retinal bleeding
• Vision impairment
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 6 symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Diabetic Retinopathy:

• High Cholesterol: Home Testing:
  • Home Cholesterol Tests
  • Home Triglycerides Tests
  • Home Blood Pressure Test Devices
• High Blood Pressure: Home Testing
  • Home Blood Pressure Hypertension Tests
  • Home Blood Pressure Monitors
  • Home Heart Tests
• Heart Health: Home Testing:
  • Heart Rate Monitors
  • Irregular Heartbeat Detection
  • Heart Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Home Blood Pressure Testing
  • Home Cholesterol Testing
• Thyroid: Home Testing:
  • Home Thyroid Function Testing
  • Home TSH Tests
  • Home Adrenal Function Tests
• Diet & Weight Loss: Home Testing:
  • Home Weight Testing
  • Home Body Fat Testing (BMI)
  • Home Body Fat Monitoring
  • Home Fitness Testing
• Adrenal Gland Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Adrenal Function Testing
  • Home Thyroid Function Tests
• Kidney Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Kidney Testing
  • Home Microalbumin Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urine Protein Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urinary Tract Infection Test Kits
• Diabetes: Related Home Testing:
  • Home Diabetes Testing
  • Home Blood Glucose Test Kits
  • Home Urine Glucose Tests
  • Home Urine Ketone Tests
  • Home Diabetes HbA1c Tests
  • Home Microalbumin Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urine Protein Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Kidney Health Tests
  • Home Eye Health Tests
• Vision & Eye Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Eye Tests
  • Home Vision Tests
• more tests...»

Diabetic Retinopathy: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Diabetic Retinopathy:

• Blurred vision
• Permanent blurred vision (see Blurred vision)
• Low vision (see Vision loss)
• Visual impairment
• Partial blindness
• Permanent blindness (see Blindness)
• more complications...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Diabetic Retinopathy

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Diabetic Retinopathy

• Ordinary doctor eye exam - not fully adequate; may not detect non-advanced cases.
• Dilated eye exam - best performed by eye specialist
• Eye test (vision test) - not useful; only detects very advanced cases of retinopathy.
• Dye test (fluorescein angiogram) - This is a special eye that that shows retinal circulation.
• Amsler grid - A special test that helps you identify what parts of your visual field are damaged.
• more tests...»

See full list of 9 diagnostic tests for Diabetic Retinopathy

Wrongly Diagnosed with Diabetic Retinopathy?

• Misdiagnosis of Diabetic Retinopathy
• Failure to diagnose Diabetic Retinopathy
• Hidden causes of Diabetic Retinopathy (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy: Self Assessment Tools

• Heart Attack -- Self Assessment Tools
• Stress -- Self Assessment Tools
• Exercise -- Self Assessment Tools
• Smoking -- Self Assessment Tools
• Weight Management -- Self Assessment Tools
• Heart Disease -- Self Assessment Tools
• Fertility -- Self Assessment Tools
• more tools...»

Diabetic Retinopathy: Medical Mistakes

• Obesity -- Health Mistakes
• Diabetes -- Health Mistakes
• Hypertension -- Health Mistakes
• Cholesterol -- Health Mistakes
• Metabolic Syndrome -- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

Diabetic Retinopathy: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Diabetic Retinopathy:

• Diabetes products & offers »
• Dieting & Weight management: products & offers »
• Heart health products & offers »
• Vision & Eye Care
• Senior Health
• High cholesterol
• more product offers...»

Diabetic Retinopathy: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Chronic Major Diseases that are commonly Undiagnosed:
  • High Cholesterol -- Undiagnosed
  • Heart Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • Cancer -- Undiagnosed
  • Depression -- Undiagnosed
  • Type 2 Diabetes -- Undiagnosed
  • Type 1 Diabetes -- Undiagnosed
  • Hypertension -- Undiagnosed
  • Hemochromatosis -- Undiagnosed
  • Metabolic Syndrome -- Undiagnosed
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

In-Depth Reports: Diagnosis and Misdiagnosis

Diabetes diagnosis and misdiagnosis (In-Depth Report): Detailed report on diabetes misdiagnoses, rare curable types, and less common diagnostic issues....read full report »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Diabetic Retinopathy

Misdiagnosis and Diabetic Retinopathy

Metabolic syndrome often undiagnosed: Metabolic syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, is an often overlooked medical condition that causes a cluster of chronic symptoms. There are often four symptoms...read more »

Heart attacks can be undiagnosed: Although the most severe symptoms of heart attack are hard to miss, there are varying degrees of severity. It is altogether too common for people to die from undiagnosed heart attack, or from delaying too...read more »

Heart attacks can be overdiagnosed: Although many people die from heart attacks, there are also many cases where people fear that they have a heart attack, but...read more »

Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present in a variety of different severities. Diseases in...read more »

Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease is often over-diagnosed. Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom might be...read more »

Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for a patient to show mental decline to dementia. Whereas this can, of course, occur due to various medical conditions, such as a stroke...read more »

Tremor need not be Parkinson's disease: There is the tendency to believe that any tremor symptom, or shakiness, means Parkinson's disease. The reality is that there are various possibilities, such as benign...read more »

Poorly healing leg rashes a classic sign of chronic disease: Recurring leg rashes, or poorly healing leg rashes, are a classic sign of undiagnosed ...read more »

Leg cramps at night a classic sign: The symptom of having leg muscle cramps, particularly at night, is a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes. However, there are also various other...read more »

Rare diseases misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease: A rare genetic disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease for men in their 50's. The disease Fragile X disorder can show only mild symptoms in the early years, and...read more »

Over-diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in obese patients: A diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, particularly pulmonary arterial hypertension, is often a misdiagnosis in obese...read more »

Obesity-related conditions undiagnosed in children: A variety of conditions are associated with obesity (see obesity), but these tend to be undiagnosed more often in child patients than in adults. Some of the overlooked conditions may...read more »

Misdiagnosed weight-related causes of infertility: A woman's weight status can affect her level of fertility. Although obesity or overweight can in...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Diabetes & Endocrinology Specialists:
  • Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism
  • Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility
  • Pediatric Endocrinology (Child Hormones)
• Cholesterol Specialists:
  • Clinical Lipidology (Cholesterol/Triglycerides)
• Cardiac (Heart) Specialists:
  • Cardiology (Heart specialists)
  • Pediatric Cardiology (Child Heart Specialists)
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
  • Interventional Cardiology
• Eye Health Specialists (Ophthalmology):
  • Ophthalmology (Eye Specialist)
• Senior Health Specialists (Geriatrics):
  • Geriatric Medicine (Senior Health Specialist)
  • Geriatric Psychiatry (Senior Mental Health)
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Hospitals & Clinics: Diabetic Retinopathy

Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Diabetic Retinopathy:

• Heart Health (Cardiac Care) -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• Senior Health -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• Nursing Homes & Aged Care Facilities -- Quality Ratings
• more hospital ratings...»

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Diabetic Retinopathy, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:

• 50 Best Hospitals Report
• Outstanding Patient Experinece Award Winning Hospitals
• Women's Health Best Hospitals
• Patient Safety
• Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study (2009)

Diabetic Retinopathy: Rare Types

Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:

• Chronic Major Diseases -- Rare Types:
  • High Cholesterol -- Rare Types
  • Heart Disease -- Rare Types
  • Cancer -- Rare Types
  • Depression -- Rare Types
  • Type 2 Diabetes -- Rare Types
  • Type 1 Diabetes -- Rare Types
  • Hypertension -- Rare Types
  • Hemochromatosis -- Rare Types
  • Metabolic Syndrome -- Rare Types
• more rare diseases...»

Causes of Diabetic Retinopathy

• Diabetes
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes
• High cholesterol - cholesterol can exacerbate retinopathy and further damage in the small blood vessels of the eye, just as cholesterol can cause hardening of larger artery blood vessels.
• Pregnancy - can exacerbate existing retinopathy though probably not cause it directly.
• more causes...»

See full list of 9 causes of Diabetic Retinopathy

More information about causes of Diabetic Retinopathy:

• Underlying causes of Diabetic Retinopathy
• Diabetic Retinopathy as a complication caused by other conditions
• Diabetic Retinopathy as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Diabetic Retinopathy

Treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy

• Control blood sugars
• Quit smoking
• Control blood pressure
• Laser eye surgery
• Laser photocoagulation
• more treatments...»

See full list of 11 treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy

Latest Treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy

• Aspirin
• Laser treatment
• Vitrectomy
• Intravitreal triamcinolone
• Cryoretinopexy
• more treatments...»

See full list of 12 latest treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy

News Archives for Diabetic Retinopathy

Medical news articles related to Diabetic Retinopathy include:

• Diabetic Eye Disease Rates Soaring
• Drug Fights Diabetic Eye Disease
• Laser Therapy as Good as Drugs for Diabetic Eye Problems
• Gene Variant Boosts Risk of Severe Diabetic Eye, Kidney Diseases
• Diabetic Eye Problem Linked to Heart Failure
• more health news...»

Source: HealthDay News

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Diabetic Retinopathy

Medical research articles related to Diabetic Retinopathy include:

• What is the evidence that diabetic control influences onset of diabetic retinopathy?
• Intravitreal steroids versus observation for macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion
• Examining the patient with diabetes mellitus
• Pentoxifylline for diabetic retinopathy
• Standards of medical care in diabetes. VI. Prevention and management of diabetes complications.
• Analysis of telemedicine applications in the management-coordination of specilised and primary care. Appraisal of results and costs of pre-existing experiences (teleophthalmology).
• Is there evidence to support use of fenofibrate in a type 2 diabetic who is statin intolerant with hypercholesterolaemia?
• more research...»

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database

Videos for Diabetic Retinopathy

Patient Surveys for Diabetic Retinopathy

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Diabetic Retinopathy
  Take Survey  View Results

Prognosis for Diabetic Retinopathy

Prognosis for Diabetic Retinopathy: At least 90% of these new cases could be reduced if there was proper and vigilant treatment and monitoring of the eye.

More about prognosis of Diabetic Retinopathy

Reseach about Diabetic Retinopathy

Visit our research pages for current research about Diabetic Retinopathy treatments.

Clinical Trials for Diabetic Retinopathy

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Diabetic Retinopathy include:

• Screening for Studies on Retinovascular Diseases - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Diabetic Retinopathy and Visual Function Study - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Long Term Follow-Up of Diabetic Retinopathy - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients Enrolled in the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Blood Factors and Diabetic Retinopathy - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• more trials...»

See full list of 69 Clinical Trials for Diabetic Retinopathy

Prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy

Prevention information for Diabetic Retinopathy has been compiled from various data sources and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy.

• Diabetic control
• Quit smoking
• Control blood pressure
• Careful monitor blood pressure during pregnancy
• Exercise carefully (weights, headstands) - some types of exercise that increase blood pressure can actually aggravate the eyes and a retinopathy condition.
• more preventions...»

Read more about prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy

Statistics for Diabetic Retinopathy

• Medical statistics for Diabetic Retinopathy
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Diabetic Retinopathy
• Death and Mortality statistics for Diabetic Retinopathy
• Society statistics for Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy: Broader Related Topics

• Diabetic Eye Disease
• Eye conditions
• Retinopathy
• Retina Conditions
• more types...»

Types of Diabetic Retinopathy

Types of Diabetic Retinopathy

• Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR)
• Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR)
• more types...»

Read more about Types of Diabetic Retinopathy

Stories from Users Related to Diabetic Retinopathy

• Prolipheral Diabetic Retinopathy but NOT Diabetic
• Proliferative diabetic retinopathy
• Eye Diabetic Treatment

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User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Diabetic Retinopathy, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Diabetic Retinopathy

This disorder can result from diabetes. It happens when small blood vessels stop feeding the retina properly. In the early stages, the blood vessels may leak fluid, which distorts sight. In the later stages, new vessels may grow and send blood into the center of the eye, causing serious vision loss. In most cases, laser treatment can prevent blindness. It is very important that people with diabetes have an eye exam through dilated pupils every year. (Source: excerpt from Aging and Your Eyes - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Definitions of Diabetic Retinopathy:

Retinal changes occurring in diabetes mellitus, marked by microaneurysms, exudates, and hemorrhages, and sometimes by neovascularization. - (Source - Diseases Database)