PGI caters to 250-300 patients with diabetic retinopathy daily

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 28

Nearly 250-300 patients of diabetic retinopathy are visiting the PGI every day for retina services.

About 90 per cent of them reach the hospital when their vision is affected, with 20 per cent to 40 per cent having advanced stage retinopathy, which requires complex surgeries. Due to Covid, several patients could not get laser treatment or injections on time and reached the advanced stage.

With over 77 million people with diabetes in India, the country has emerged as the diabetes capital of the world. A sharp rise has been observed in the prevalence of diabetes-related preventable vision loss.

It is estimated that around 1.1 crore people are suffering from retinal disorders in India. About one in every three people living with diabetes has some degree of diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes complication that affects eyes, which remains the leading cause of blindness in young adults.

“In India, the burden of retinal diseases is on the rise. Diabetic macular edema (DME), for instance, mainly affects the working population of 35-to-45-year-olds, causing distorted vision. However, the DME onset can be significantly delayed with adherence to treatment, and effective control of diabetes,” said Dr Vishali Gupta, Professor, Vitreoretinal and Uvea, Advanced Eye Centre, PGI.

Young population suffering from juvenile diabetes (Type 1 diabetes) is vulnerable to diabetic retinopathy, especially if they have had diabetes for over 10 years. Even people suffering from Type 2 diabetes are at a risk of losing their eyesight due to onset of diabetes-related retinal diseases.

DME is the most common form of diabetic retinopathy, which arises when the damaged blood vessels swell and flow into the macula of the retina, causing visibility issues. While medical advancements have made treatment easy and effective, it is the delay in diagnosis that leads to a high percentage of diabetic retinopathy cases.

On being diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, it is important to adhere to the treatment and maintain a healthy lifestyle to effectively manage diabetes and prevent the onset or progression of eye diseases.