Ignorance can leave you blind.

• Position: Diabetes

While people with diabetes are more likely to develop blinding eye diseases, studies have revealed low awareness of the issue among ethnicities at higher risk for diabetes and low uptake of preventive eye exams among affected Medicare beneficiaries. With the findings signaling that many Americans may not be defending themselves against diabetes-related vision loss, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, San Francisco, Calif., is sharing information about diabetic eye disease and dilated eye exams to encourage those with diabetes to take proactive steps to protect their vision.

Although Hispanics and African-Americans are more likely to have diabetes than most other ethnicities, a poll commissioned by the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research reveals that only 27% and 32%, respectively, report to know about diabetic eye disease. In addition, while the Academy recommends that people with diabetes have a dilated eye exam every year, one study published in the journal Ophthalmology found that, among Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetes--all conditions that require an annual eye exam-- three-quarters of those who did not have an exam in five years were those living with diabetes.

"It's alarming that so many people with diabetes or at risk for diabetes may be unaware of the damage their condition can do to their eyes and may not be getting exams to check for it," says Raj K. Maturi, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "Outside of maintaining good blood glucose levels, having an annual dilated eye exam is the best first-line defense against vision loss from diabetic eye disease."

While "diabetic eye disease" is often used, people may be unaware that this term encompasses a number of diseases and conditions that can cause blindness if left untreated. These include:

* Diabetic retinopathy affects 28.5% of people age 40 and older living with diabetes. It occurs when the...