WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has announced its recognition of November as National Diabetes Month. The organization has distributed tips and online resources to spread awareness of the cause and of the dangers diabetes can pose to eye health.
 
As part of the National Diabetes Month initiative, NEI is encouraging the use of educational materials on the NEI website, where a designated webpage is providing information about diabetic eye disease. The organization also recommends viewing the website for the NIH National Diabetes Education Program, which provides information about preventing and managing these diseases.
 
Other tips from NEI include getting a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year, controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels and talking to your eyecare professional about diabetic retinopathy.
 
According to NEI, diabetic eye disease is the leading cause of vision loss among working-age adults in the U.S., and diabetic retinopathy leads as the most common form of this disease, affecting about 28.5 percent of Americans with diabetes age 40 and older. This estimate is equivalent to more than 7 million people, and the number is expected to reach more than 11 million by the year 2030, the organization said.
 
NEI’s Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR.net) conducts large multi-center trials of new therapies for diabetic eye disease, more information on which can be found at clinicaltrails.gov, trial NCT01627249.
 
Also available is an NEI YouTube Video depicting more information about diabetic eye disease.