Mark F. Johnson, M.D. and J. Lawrence Sippe, M.D. are members of Banner Arizona Medical Clinic's Ophthalmology Department

Question: What is diabetic retinopathy?

Answer: Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness. In fact, blindness is 25 times more common in diabetics than in the general population.

Retinopathy can be non-proliferative and proliferative. Patients with non-proliferative  diabetic retinopathy can have microaneurysms, dilated veins and hemorrhages. Patients with proliferative retinopathy has cotton-wool spots, development of fragile blood vessels and  retinal detachment. Macular edema is present in both types and is the most frequent cause of visual loss among patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. 

Anyone with diabetes over age 30 should be examined by an ophthalmologist at the time of initial diagnosis and at least yearly thereafter. Diabetic retinopathy  can become particularly aggressive during pregnancy; pregnant women should be examined by an ophthalmologist in the first trimester. A dilated exam is necessary to correctly classify the presence and severity of retinopathy.

Some studies show that strict control of diabetes with multidose insulin decreased the development of retinopathy by 75 percent.