Awareness and access help increase screening for retinopathy

Washington, DC-Patient and clinician awareness and access to health care can encourage patients with diabetes to seek annual eye exams, which can help prevent retinopathy, according to a new systematic review of studies.

Diabetic retinopathy might cause few symptoms before vision loss begins and it is the leading cause of new-onset blindness in American adults.

Control of one's blood glucose and blood pressure can reduce the risk of these eye problems, and for more advanced cases, laser surgery is an option.

The American Diabetes Association recommends dilated eye exams at least once a year for most people with the disease.