Diabetic retinopathy – causes and course

Diabetic retinopathy is a disease in the course of which there are vascular changes in the retina. A decrease in the elasticity of blood vessels and an increase in their permeability cause m. in. Fluid transudates or retinal hypoxia.

Diabetic retinopathy is caused by long-term elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia). Diabetes is often accompanied by other conditions that also contribute to vascular changes in the retina. These include:

• hypertension,
• Lipid metabolism disorders involving abnormal cholesterol levels,
• Diabetic nephropathy (as in the course of retinopathy, as a result of hyperglycemia, blood vessels are damaged – this time in the kidneys, leading to damage to their entire structure; in advanced stages of diabetic nephropathy, kidney failure may occur, requiring treatment with dialysis or transplantation).

Since diabetic retinopathy develops slowly, and its first symptoms are not specific and may suggest, for example, the development of myopia, any patient diagnosed with diabetes should be under constant ophthalmological control.

Also, diabetic women who become pregnant need to be under close observation of a specialist, as the risk of developing and progressing retinopathy-like changes increases significantly during this time.

Retinopathy can take years to develop, and it’s not the only ophthalmic condition diabetics are at risk of. They have an increased risk of cataracts and glaucoma, and untreated retinopathy can also lead to diabetic macular edema (diabetic maculopathy) caused by the accumulation of fluid in the central part of the retina.
You can read more about macular degeneration here.