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The hidden risk of cataracts: What is the connection between diabetes and vision?
Cataracts are cloudy areas in the lens of the eye, which can cause vision loss. According to reports, cataracts are one of the main causes of blindness (51%) and visual impairment (33%) worldwide. Cataracts usually develop slowly and may affect one or both eyes. Symptoms include faded colors, blurred or double vision, halos around lights, sensitivity to bright lights, and difficulty seeing at night. This means that people affected by cataracts may experience problems with everyday activities such as driving, reading or recognizing faces, increasing the risk of falls and depression.
Cataracts affect approximately 200 million people worldwide, especially the elderly, with 68% of respondents over 80 reporting having cataracts.
While age is the primary cause of cataract development, many other factors, including diabetes, also play a key role. Studies have shown that diabetic patients are more likely to develop cataracts than healthy people. The high blood sugar state of diabetes can lead to abnormal proteins inside the lens, which in turn causes the formation of cataracts. Oxidative stress in diabetic populations is also thought to be a key factor driving changes in the lens.
"The risk of cataracts increases rapidly with age and disease, and the risk is particularly significant in people with diabetes."
The association between cataracts and diabetes
The effects of diabetes on vision are not limited to cataracts, but also include other complications such as retinopathy and optic neuropathy. Long-term high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the microvasculature in the eye, thereby reducing vision. These changes cause vision loss in diabetic patients to occur more rapidly than in non-diabetic patients.
Studies have shown that diabetes can accelerate the accumulation of water in the lens, and poor blood sugar control may lead to inflammatory responses, making vision problems more serious. Therefore, it is crucial for people with diabetes to actively manage their blood sugar levels and have regular eye exams.
Other risk factors for cataracts"Early diagnosis and intervention can significantly reduce the risk of developing cataracts in diabetic patients."
In addition to diabetes, other risk factors for cataracts include long-term use of corticosteroid medications, smoking, sun exposure, and excessive drinking. The combination of these factors may further increase the risk of cataracts in diabetic patients. In addition, the incidence of cataracts increases significantly with age, especially among the elderly over 80 years old, 68% of whom are diagnosed with cataracts.
"Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and receiving regular eye examinations can effectively prevent the development of cataracts."
Prevention and Treatment
While there is no proven way to prevent cataracts, there are steps you can take to help reduce your risk. For example, wearing UV-blocking sunglasses, maintaining a healthy diet, and maintaining a good lifestyle are all effective ways to prevent cataracts. For patients who already have cataracts, surgery is the only effective treatment. By removing the cloudy lens from the eye and replacing it with an artificial lens, vision can be improved in many patients.
However, access to surgery remains an issue in some low-income countries, meaning many patients still do not receive the treatment they need.
SummaryBetween cataracts and diabetes, in addition to the common factor of aging, the impact of chronic diseases cannot be ignored. As patients age, more attention should be paid to eye health and diabetes management. Will it be possible to find more effective prevention and treatment methods in the future to change the current situation of this disease that significantly affects vision?
