Vision Loss is more common in Blacks with Diabetic Retinopathy

Vision care should be our No.1 priority to lead a healthy, happy & satisfied life. While the onset of most eye ailments may not be under our control, timely intervention and treatment can help to curb the long term harmful effects of most eye diseases. This is true for Diabetic eye diseases too.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a difficult chronic disease that is marked by high blood sugar levels. A person suffering from Diabetes can experience weight gain (more in type II insulin-resistance diabetes) or weight loss (more common in type I insulin-dependent diabetes), kidney failure, weakening of the body, heart diseases, and even blindness.

What are Diabetic Eye Diseases?

Diabetic Eye Diseases refer to those specific eye problems that may develop in individuals suffering from diabetes and can cause severe vision loss or even blindness as a result of the changes & complications that take place within the body due to diabetes. People who have been suffering from Diabetes for a longer period of time are more likely to develop these diabetic eye diseases.

Blacks with Diabetes face tremendous Risk

Over the years; research has confirmed that people of African descent are more likely to develop serious diabetic eye diseases such as Diabetic Retinopathy as compared to their counterparts of other races. If these diabetic eye disorders are not treated on time, they can lead to loss of vision and complete blindness. It is alarming to note that in many parts of Africa including Ethopia, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and among many African-American communities, thousands of people are losing their eye sight due to sheer ignorance of the risks they face due to diabetes.

Since most diabetes-related eye ailments start showing symptoms only after the disease has reached its advanced stage, it is of primary importance, especially for blacks to get their eyes checked regularly (at least once a year) for these diseases. The process generally involves dilation of the pupils using eye drops to get a better view of the insides of the eye.

Common Diabetic Eye Diseases in Blacks include Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma & Cataract.

Glaucoma & Cataract Individuals with diabetes are very likely to develop diseases such as Glaucoma and Cataract, characterized by optic nerve damage & eye lens clouding, respectively.

Diabetic Retinopathy is the most common among people of ages between 20 & 65 and is developed as a result of damage caused to the retinal blood vessels. Retinopathy generally takes 2 forms – Proliferative Retinopathy which is characterised by the growth of new blood vessels in the retina and macular edema in which the retinal fluid enters onto the macula. If not treated on time, Diabetic Retinopathy can severely threaten vision.

Early Detection & Treatment

Research conducted at New Jersey Medical School, New York University College of Medicine and Dentistry, and some African Universities show that by curbing the sodium and calorie intake of Blacks suffering from Diabetes, the risk of Diabetic Retinopathy can be prolonged. Medication and laser treatment are the other actions that can be taken, depending on the current stage of the disease.

There is an urgent need to sensitize diabetic blacks about the risks they face and the importance of early diagnosis in curbing the occurrence of vision threatening, diabetes related eye disorders.

Diabetes Diet and Food Tips: Eating to Prevent and Control Diabetes

G. Stanley Okoye, M.D., Ph.D. , Chief Medical Correspondent, Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center (Afripol) and St. Jude Medical Missions ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

High Prevalence of Glaucoma among African Descents

Eye sight is undoubtedly one of most precious gifts of God that deserves complete care and attention to function to its optimum level. Early detection and timely diagnosis can help to prevent fatal eye diseases. However, if left untreated for long, some eye diseases can lead to permanent and total loss of vision. This is the reason why, physicians & eye doctors urge people to get routine eye checkups done every once in a while irrespective of whether or not they are experiencing any problems since many diseases have symptoms which are almost unnoticeable. Glaucoma is one such eye disease that should not be taken lightly.

Research has shown that African descents are genetically more inclined to developing Glaucoma and subsequent blindness than people of other ethnicities. What’s even more worrying is the fact that black patients generally show signs of glaucoma early on (about 10 years earlier than others).

In order to get timely treatment and care, it is essential for African descents to get themselves checked regularly (every one to two years) for glaucoma, especially after reaching the age of 35-40 years.

What is Glaucoma?

In simple terms, glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can lead to vision impairment if not treated on time. Often, an increased and unrelieved pressure in the fluid of the eye (intraocular pressure) is also considered to a factor contributing to glaucoma. This disease can develop at any point of time, making timely diagnosis & thorough treatment very important. Specifically, a balance in the eye fluid production and drainage has to be maintained for normal eye pressure, range between 10 to 20. The front chamber (Anterior Chamber) of the eye is filled with aqueous clear fluid produced from a structure called the ciliary process at the back of the eye lens. The aqueous fluid is slowly pumped into the anterior chamber and then slowly drains out into the blood stream through the channels called the Schlem canals.  In glaucoma, there can be a problem with aqueous fluid not draining out of the eye quickly enough. The reason for such slow drainage can range from chronic eye inflammation from eye injury, increasing age, use of steroid medications, diabetes, or increase genetic susceptibility to abnormal functioning of the drainage channels. Following slow drainage of the aqueous fluid, the eye internal pressure can rise and press upon the optic nerve which is the weakest part of the eye.  This can be likened to squeezing a balloon with the neck or tip of the balloon pushed out as the eye internal pressure increases.  With African descents, it is possible that there is increase predisposition to slowing down of the drainage with time, or increase susceptibility of the optic nerve to damage by the smallest change in the eye pressure even when it seems be within the average normal range.

There are 2 main types of Glaucoma: Primary Open-angle Glaucoma & Angle-closure Glaucoma. In blacks, the occurrence of Primary Open-angle glaucoma is more common.

Common Risks: While several factors contribute to glaucoma formation, some of the risk factors include a family history of the disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and a person’s race.

Common Symptoms: Frequent headaches, faulty vision in the dark, swollen eye, eye pain with mid-dilated pupil, nausea and vomiting, among others. Glaucoma screening involves observing the optic nerve head for changes, changes in the field of vision using special equipments, and excluding thick cornea as the contributing cause of increase eye pressure. Since the symptoms of open-angle glaucoma are more difficult to ascertain, it is of primary importance for ophthalmologists to check aggressively for symptoms.

Prevalence of Glaucoma in Populations with African Ancestry

The prevalence of glaucoma begins to increase in African-ancestry populations at 40 years and rises significantly with age

(According to Glaucoma Research Foundation –NEI).