Specifications

24 II For Camera Operators (Pullout section)
The EyePACS Handbook: Tools for Program Success
Normal vision Same scene viewed by a person with
diabetic retinopathy
Who is at risk for diabetic retinopathy?
All people with diabetes – both type 1 and type 2 – are at risk. The longer someone has
diabetes, the more likely he or she will get diabetic retinopathy. Between 40 to 45
percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have some stage of diabetic
retinopathy. If you have diabetic retinopathy, your doctor can recommend treatment to
help prevent its progression.
Diabetic retinopathy may also be a problem for pregnant women with diabetes. To
protect vision, every pregnant woman with diabetes should have a comprehensive
dilated eye exam as soon as possible. Your doctor may recommend additional exams
during your pregnancy.
What can patients do to protect their vision?
Every patient with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once
a year and know that:
• Proliferative retinopathy can develop without symptoms.
• Macular edema can develop without symptoms at any of the four stages of
diabetic retinopathy.
• Patients can develop both proliferative retinopathy and macular edema and still
see fine. However, they are at high risk for vision loss.
• Whether or not you have symptoms, early detection and timely treatment can
prevent vision loss.
• Patients with diabetic retinopathy may need more frequent eye exams.
• People with proliferative retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness by 95
percent with timely treatment and appropriate follow-up care.