translated from Spanish: Type II diabetes increases risk of blindness

Mexico.-the increase in cases of diabetes mellitus type 2 in Mexico has high visual problems in these patients and the risk of blindness cases arising from this disease, they warned civil society organizations Thursday. Therefore, seeking to promote greater access to therapies and improve the diagnosis of this type of conditions that are most treatable. According to Juan José Irazabal, President of the Mexican Diabetes Federation (FMD), 14% of the adult working-age in Mexico suffer from diabetes, while 30% of patients with a diagnosis of diabetes have diabetic retinopathy and, of them, 10% suffer from diabetic macular edema and not know it.

Both Visual conditions, not treated in a timely manner, can lead to blindness. In fact, he stressed, diabetic retinopathy is the third leading cause of blindness in the world, but the first to people of working age in developing countries. This condition is treatable and can stabilize itself is detected in a timely manner, he said. Meanwhile, macular edema can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy and is the most important cause of loss of vision, but also it can be stabilized when diagnosed early. Against this background, civil society organizations urged the Chamber of Deputies boost access to therapies antiangiogenic (that reduce the formation of new blood vessels) for all patients with type 2 diabetes with complications ophthalmologic.

Irazabal stressed that Mexico has with specific treatments for diabetic retinopathy and macular edema, and therefore called on health authorities to make it available to patients these therapies. The President of the FMD recalled that the more time living with uncontrolled diabetes, the greater the risk of Visual complications. Therefore, he said, that a proper management of the disease becomes indispensable through optimum control of glucose levels in blood, regular visit to the ophthalmologist, healthy eating and physical activity. Meanwhile, Dr. Daniel Paniagua, Mexican Association of diabetes, said that the lack of comprehensive care of the complications of the Visual system of public health causes seven of every ten patients with diabetes to attend ophthalmological consultation When there are visual weakness, “and even when the damage is irreversible”.

Photo: Pixabay

At the same time, he noted the importance of the timely screenings. Finally, Dr. Sergio Hernández Da Mota, President of the Mexican Association of Retina, stressed that efforts in Mexico visual health care should focus on prevention and investing more in education and specific treatments. This, he said, because diseases from the vision stage advanced edema and diabetic retinopathy macular significantly affect the quality of life of patients and increase the costs of their care for public health institutions.



Original source in Spanish