Diabetes a key cause of rising loss of vision, blindness: experts
A study has found that 2.5% of complete loss of vision, or blindness, stems from diabetic retinopathy, a condition arising from diabetic complications which damages the blood vessels of the retina.
For this reason, it is very necessary to screen diabetic patients in the country to check for the condition at least once a year, said Dr Tariq Reza Ali, assistant professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), during a seminar on the occasion of World Diabetes Day-2022 with the theme "Know diabetes to protect yourself in the future".
Dr Ali said there is no accurate guideline for diagnosis of diabetic patients, especially relating to the retina, in the country. In addition to eye examinations, retinal imaging and other specialised tests such as fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, etc are required, he said.
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He called for establishing adequate screening and referral centres, adding, as there is a shortage of doctors and retinal specialists in Bangladesh, telemedicine needs to be popularised.
At the seminar, Dr Shahajada Selim, associate professor of the Department of Endocrinology at BSMMU, said, if diabetes was not brought under control, various problems including heart disease, stroke and reproductive problems might occur.
The expert said 80% of diabetic patients die of heart attack. If there was no diabetes, the number of kidney patients would have reduced a lot.
Chief guest at the event, BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Md Sharfuddin Ahmed, said two crore people in Bangladesh are suffering from diabetes and two crore more have prediabetes.
If people suffering from prediabetes can be protected from the disease, then the country will save Tk1 lakh crore every year. A few more big projects like Padma Bridge can be taken up with this money, he said.
Diabetes affects many organs, including the pancreas, kidney and the eyes. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle and proper diet are essential to prevent diabetes, he said.
