via NY Daily News
Individuals with diabetes are told to be physically active to help reach and maintain a healthy body weight and help control blood sugar levels.
Now it appears that reducing the risk of diabetic retinopathy can be added to that list.
Diabetes has many health complications, with one of them being diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes complication affecting the eyes.
It’s caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina).
At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. But as it progresses, it can eventually lead to blindness.
A research team out of the University of Mississippi followed 282 diabetes patients, measuring their activity level throughout the day. An accelerometer device was used to monitor physical activity.
The average age of the patients was 62 years and the average number of hours the participants were inactive was 8.7 hours during the day, when they were awake.
Specifically, for each 60-minute daily increase in physical inactivity, their risk for diabetic retinopathy rose by 16%.
One theory as to why an inactive lifestyle increases the risk of diabetic retinopathy is that the sedentary habits hike the risk of heart disease thus leading to severe eye issues.
To protect vision when diagnosed with diabetes, a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least yearly is necessary. Some people with diabetic retinopathy may need eye exams more frequently. Women with diabetes, or who develop it while pregnant, should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam as soon as possible.
Controlling diabetes can help slow the onset and worsening of diabetic retinopathy. Tight blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible can significantly reduce the chance of developing this condition.
Diabetes has many health complications, with one of them being diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes complication affecting the eyes.
It’s caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina).
At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. But as it progresses, it can eventually lead to blindness.
A research team out of the University of Mississippi followed 282 diabetes patients, measuring their activity level throughout the day. An accelerometer device was used to monitor physical activity.
The average age of the patients was 62 years and the average number of hours the participants were inactive was 8.7 hours during the day, when they were awake.
Specifically, for each 60-minute daily increase in physical inactivity, their risk for diabetic retinopathy rose by 16%.
One theory as to why an inactive lifestyle increases the risk of diabetic retinopathy is that the sedentary habits hike the risk of heart disease thus leading to severe eye issues.
To protect vision when diagnosed with diabetes, a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least yearly is necessary. Some people with diabetic retinopathy may need eye exams more frequently. Women with diabetes, or who develop it while pregnant, should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam as soon as possible.
Controlling diabetes can help slow the onset and worsening of diabetic retinopathy. Tight blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible can significantly reduce the chance of developing this condition.
In addition, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels can reduce the risk of vision loss among people with diabetes.
Dr. Samadi is a board-certified urologic oncologist trained in open and traditional and laparoscopic surgery and is an expert in robotic prostate surgery. He is chairman of urology, chief of robotic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital. He is a medical correspondent for the Fox News Channel’s Medical A-Team Learn more at roboticoncology.com. Visit Dr. Samadi’s blog at SamadiMD.com. Follow Dr. Samadi on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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