Februaiy 29, 2012___________________
P o rtla n d O bserver B la c k H is t o r y M o n t h
Page 17
Don’t Lose Sight of Diabetic Eye Disease
Early detection and medical
care can reduce risks
T h o u s a n d s o f A m e ric a n
ad u lts are at risk o f losing their
v ision as a resu lt o f c o m p lic a
tions from diabetes.
Diabetes affects nearly 26 million
people in the United States. In addi
tion, another 79 million people are
estimated to have pre-diabetes, a
condition that puts people at in
creased risk for diabetes. All people
with diabetes, both type 1 and type
2, are at risk for diabetic eye disease,
a leading cause of vision loss and
blindness.
“The longer a person has diabe
tes the greater is his or her risk of
developing diabetic eye disease,”
said Dr. Suber Huang, chair of the
Diabetic Eye Disease Subcommit
tee for the National Eye Institute’s
National Eye Health Education Pro
gram. “If you have diabetes, be sure
to have a comprehensive dilated
eye exam at least once a year. Dia
betic eye disease often has no early
warning signs, but can be detected
early and treated before noticeable
vision loss occurs.”
Diabetic eye disease refers to a
group of eye problem s that people
with diabetes may face as a com
plication of the disease, including
diabetic retinopathy, cataract, and
glaucoma.
Diabetic retinopathy, the most
com m on diabetic eye disease, is
the leading cause of blindness in
adults 20 to 74 years of age. Ac
cording to the N ational Eye Insti
tute, 4.1 m illion people have dia
betic eye disease, and its preva
lence is projected to increase to
7.2 million by 2020.
While all people with diabetes
can develop diabetic eye disease,
African Americans, American Indi
ans, Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and
older adults with diabetes are at
higher risk of losing vision or going
blind from it.
vanced diabetic retinopathy can
reduce their risk of blindness by 90
percent.
Clinical research has shown that
maintaining good control of blood
sugar, blood pressure, and choles
terol can slow the development and
progression of diabetic eye disease.
In addition to regular dilated eye
exams, people with diabetes should
do the following to keep their health
on track:
Take your medications; reach and
maintain a healthy weight; add physi
cal activity to your daily routine;
control your blood sugar, blood
pressure, and cholesterol; and kick
the smoking habit.
"D on’t lose sight of diabetic eye
disease,” added Dr. Huang. “Don’t
wait until you notice an eye problem
to have an exam because vision that
is lost often cannot be restored.”
For more inform ation on dia
Clinical research has shown that maintaining good control o f
betic eye disease and tips on find
blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol can slow the
ing an eye care professional or
development and progression o f diabetic eye disease.
financial assistance for eye care,
All people with diabetes should early. In fact, with early detection, visit nei.nih.gov/diabetes or call
have a dilated eye exam at least once timely laser surgery, and appropri the National Eye Institute at 301 -
a year to detect vision problems ate follow-up care, people with ad 496-5248.
Height Loss and Health Risks
Study looks
at impact on
older women
Most of us grow shorter as we
age and some height loss is normal,
but a new stu d y by K a iser
Permanente researchers in Portland,
found that women who lose two
inches or more are at greater risk for
fractures and death.
The study found that women 65
and older who lost more than two
inches over 15 years were 50 per
cent more likely to both fracture a
bone and to die in the subsequent
five years, compared to women who
lost less than two inches in height.
Height loss may be an indicator of
osteoporosis, a weakening of the
bone that can lead to fractures of the
spine, hip, wrist and other bones. Hip
fractures are the most debilitating.
Nearly 300,000 people are admit
ted to the hospital each year with a
hip fracture, according to the Cen
ters for Disease Control and Pre
vention. As many as 20 percent of
them will die within a year after the
fracture and many others will be
come disabled, previous research
has shown.
“We need to do everything we
can to prevent these fractures and
our study suggests that clinicians
don’t need to wait until they have
two height measurements before
they can be proactive,” Hillier said.
“Most older women remember how
tall they were in their mid 20s, and if
Study Proves Colonoscopy Benefit
(AP) — Millions of people have survival — the key measure of any
endured a colonoscopy, believing cancer screening's worth.
Some people skip the test be
the dreaded exam may help keep
them from dying of colon cancer. cause o f the unpleasant steps
For the first time, a major study needed to get ready for it.
“Sure, it’s a pain in the neck.
offers clear evidence that it does.
Removing precancerous growths People complain to me all the time,
spotted during the test can cut the ‘It’s horrible. It’s terrible,” ’ said Dr.
risk of dying from colon cancer in Sidney Winawer, a gastroenterolo
half, the study suggests. Doctors gist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering
have long assumed a benefit, but Cancer Center in New York who
research hasn't shown before that helped lead the study. “But look at
removing polyps would improve the alternative.”
they measure two inches shorter
than that, clinicians should con-
sider bone density testing, coun
seling, and possible treatment to
help prevent fractures.”
Prior studies have reported that
significant height loss puts men at
higher risk for heart disease and
death, but this is the first study to
find an association between height
loss and death in women. Another
study found that men over 70 who
lost two inches or more were also at
greater risk for fracturing a hip, com
pared with men who lost less height.
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