Putting the focus on diabetes-related blindness

12 July 2011

A large number of Australians are at risk of losing their sight because of the complications of diabetes.

A simple eye check can detect diabetic retinopathy; however, 35 per cent of people with diabetes did not have their eyes checked at least every two years.

Diabetes Australia and Vision 2020 Australia have launched a campaign to raise awareness of the risks of diabetic retinopathy. The Diabetes: Don’t be blind to the risks campaign is the main feature of this years National Diabetes Week which runs from 10 – 16 July 2011.

Diabetes Australia’s Chief Executive Lewis Kaplan said diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness and anyone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes is at risk.

“There are around 300,000 Australians who have some degree of diabetic retinopathy and around 65,000 have sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy. At 15 years after diagnosis, half of all people with diabetes will develop retinopathy.”

Vision 2020 Australia’s Chief Executive Jennifer Gersbeck said much of this vision loss is preventable.

“There is no screening strategy for diabetic retinopathy in Australia but the key to preventing diabetic retinopathy is to have regular eye tests from an eye health professional”.

“If we ensure that the 35 per cent who don’t currently have eye checks do get them checked, we can go a long way to improving the sight of Australians.”

Further information

As part of the campaign, two million Australians at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes will be encouraged to assess their risk by visiting the Diabetes Week website and completing the online risk assessment test.

Additional information about diabetes is available from the department’s Better Health Channel.