Hispanic Community at Greater Risk for Diabetes-Related Vision Loss

Protecting your eye health is a critical part of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.  After all, vision loss and blindness can lead to poor mental and physical health, lowered confidence, higher health bills, and greater mortality rates at earlier ages.  A recent study in Australia even confirmed that patients who suffered from cataracts were more likely to live longer if they had cataract surgery than those who did not.

Now a new study confirms that the Hispanic population is at a higher risk for vision loss due to higher diabetes rates than non-Hispanic white populations.   This study, which was conducted by the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES) verified that diabetes is the top risk factor that causes vision loss in the Hispanic community.  As a result of suffering from diabetes, the Hispanic population is more likely to suffer from debilitating vision loss and potential blindness, including the following:

• Diabetic retinopathy
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma

These vision diseases can come hand-in-hand with diabetes, which is a health condition that Hispanics should be diligent about diagnosing and treating.  In fact, studies have shown that Mexican-Americans are twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to develop diabetes.  This means that Hispanic children born after the year 2000 have a 1 in 2 chance of developing diabetes over the course of their lives.

Preserve Your Ocular Health By Preventing and Treating Diabetes

With these alarming facts in mind, it’s vital for everyone to ensure that they preserve their health in order to prevent vision loss and blindness related to diabetes.  To help preserve your ocular health, consider utilizing the following techniques:

• Eat a healthy diet and stay active.  Diabetes can be managed by smart eating choices and healthy levels of cardio activity.

• Go for regular check-ups with your physician.

• Regularly monitor your diabetic levels.

• Go for regular check-ups with your ophthalmologist.  He or she can help catch any vision loss or other ocular issue before they permanently damage your vision.

Protecting your eye health should be a critical part of treating your diabetes.  Dr. Jacqueline Griffiths of NewView Eye Center in Reston, VA can ensure that your eyes remain healthy even if you suffer from diabetes.  NewView Eye Center serves all of Northen Virginia, Fairfax County, and the greater Washington, D.C. area.

To learn more about protecting your vision, just leave us a note here or call NewView directly at 703-834-9777.