SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Oct 30, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Diabetes causes more
new cases of legal blindness among working-age Americans than any other disease.
If diabetics are monitored regularly by their ophthalmologist, this vision loss
is almost always avoidable. Yet, tragically, more than half of all people living
with diabetes do not get the recommended annual dilated eye exam. As the number
of people with Type 2 diabetes rises in the U.S., the CDC projects that the
number of adults with diabetic retinopathy will double by the year 2050. Yet 90
percent of diabetic eye disease can be prevented simply by proper regular
examinations and treatment and by controlling blood sugar.
This November, during Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, the American Academy
of Ophthalmology (Academy) through its EyeSmart(TM) campaign, is reminding the
public that an annual dilated eye exam can help prevent vision loss in people
with diabetes. To promote awareness of the need for an annual eye exam, the
Academy, along with its partners the American Society of Retina Specialists, the
Macula Society and the Retina Society, have launched EyeSmart: EyeCommitted, a
social media campaign to encourage people with diabetes to pledge to get an
annual eye exam.
"Diabetes can have a devastating impact on vision, but the good news is that
regular dilated eye exams by an ophthalmologist and timely treatment, if needed,
can save vision for the vast majority of diabetics," said David W. Parke II, MD,
executive vice president and CEO of the Academy. "That is why we're urging
people with diabetes to get EyeCommitted. By taking charge of their eye health,
Americans can greatly reduce their risk of losing their sight from diabetes."
The EyeCommitted campaign, which will be promoted through the power of social
media channels, will include an interactive pledge application that:
-- Encourages visitors to take the EyeCommitted pledge to have an annual
diabetic eye exam;
-- Allows users to share the pledge and campaign information with friends
and family;
-- Features important diabetic eye disease information and a new video
that tells the compelling stories of two patients with diabetic
retinopathy; and,
-- Allows users to post the application onto their preferred social media
sites.
For each pledge, the Academy will commit another $1 to its diabetic eye health
education efforts.
Detailed information about diabetic eye disease is also available on the
EyeSmart Web site.
The EyeCommitted campaign comes at a time when there is a documented rise in
Type 2 diabetes rates among Americans, particularly among the young. An
estimated 23.6 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes, but nearly one quarter
are unaware of it. African-Americans and people of Hispanic heritage are more
likely to have diabetes.
"As ophthalmologists, we are concerned that the trend toward younger age at
diagnosis will mean that people will have to manage their eye health closely for
decades, including through their peak work years," said Dr. Parke. "That's why
it is critical for people with Type 2 diabetes to get an eye exam as soon after
their diagnosis as possible and then annually thereafter." For people with Type
1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, the Academy recommends that the
first dilated eye exam should take place within three to five years of initial
diagnosis and then annually thereafter.
To find an Eye M.D. in your area, please visit www.GetEyeSmart.org. Consumers
can submit questions about eye health to an ophthalmologist at Ask an Eye M.D.
About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
AAO is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons -- Eye
M.D.s -- with more than 27,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by
the three "O's" -- opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the
ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries,
and perform eye surgery. For more information, visit the Academy's Web site at
www.aao.org.
Contact:
Media Relations
(415) 561-8534
media@aao.org
SOURCE: American Academy of Ophthalmology
CONTACT: mailto:media@aao.org