“People who develop disease of the retina, small vessels of the retina, early or aggressively, have an increased risk of suffering from heart attack, stroke and death from cardiovascular disease. 30% of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are destined to develop diabetic retinopathy, a fearful complication which, if not diagnosed and treated, can lead to vision loss. ” So at Ruetir Salute Paolo Di Bartolo, president of the Association of Diabetic Doctors (AMD) Foundation, on the sidelines of the 11th National Conference of the AMD Foundation, entitled “AMD for diabetology: growth, community and participation” which was held in Rome.
And it was precisely diabetic retinopathy that was at the center of the conference, with sessions dedicated to the disease, including “Diabetic retinopathy: inflammation where you least expect it” and “Diabetic retinopathy: a precious marker of cardiovascular risk”. “Since this is the first cause in the world of non-traumatic blindness – continues Di Bartolo, who is also director of Diabetology hospital in Ravenna – it is necessary to intervene on the risk factors that we know well: optimal glycemic control, which must be sought in the person with diabetes. regardless of the type of diabetes, and blood pressure control. These are the elements on which the diabetologist cannot lose attention ”.
When “we talk about the link between diabetes and the eye we cannot forget diabetic maculopathy, which is another eye disease associated with diabetes. Today we know that diabetic maculopathy is not the only maculopathy, the one we knew, that is the vascular-based pathology, but a form with a marked inflammatory component is added that today can be treated. This specific form of retinopathy represents an additional element of cardiovascular disease risk ”, he concludes.
