Diabetic Retinopathy

"Understand the Disease and Its Treatment" series
Preface by Andri 1/2e Boucher, M.D.
Approximately 2.4 million Canadians suffer from diabetes and are likely to develop diabetic retinopathy. This disease of the retina caused by diabetes affects 99 percent of people with type 1 diabetes and 60 percent of those with type 2 diabetes in the first 20 years after the onset of diabetes. The World Health Organization (WHO) anticipates an alarming increase in the number of people with diabetic retinopathy in the not-so-distant future, as the worldwide diabetic population is expected to double by 2030--to more than 360 million people. Early detection has thus become a major issue in the fight against diabetic retinopathy, especially since very effective treatments are available that can not only slow progression of the disease but also even restore lost vision in many cases.
Written in simple and clear language, by doctors, this book can help in understanding the signs and symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. It looks at the main risk factors and prevention measures for diabetic retinopathy and explains in detail how the disease is diagnosed, what treatments are available and how one can live well with the disease on a day-to-day basis. It also briefly describes recent developments in research that are opening the way for new therapeutic approaches.
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