Ahead of World Retina Day on Saturday, medical experts said that diabetic retinopathy is quickly becoming the most common cause of vision loss in India, although it is often overlooked until vision loss has already occurred.

To promote awareness of retinal health, the final Sunday in September is designated as World Retina Day.

Diabetic retinopathy is becoming a major concern in India, which is known as the diabetes capital of the world. According to the specialists, early detection is therefore still essential.

In India, diabetes is already rife, and diabetic retinopathy is quickly becoming a public health concern. According to Dr. Praveen Vashist, a professor and officer in charge of community ophthalmology at the RP Center at AIIMS in New Delhi, it is becoming one of the main causes of visual impairment in the nation.

Dr. Vishali Gupta, Vice President, VRSI & Head-Retina, PGIMS, continued, “Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common and serious complications of diabetic patients, yet it remains unrecognized until vision loss sets in.”

Nearly 12% of people 50 years of age and above had diabetes, according to the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey, 2019, which was carried out by the RP Center at AIIMS.

Of them, diabetic retinopathy affected about 17% of them. The startling finding that only roughly 10% of diabetics had ever had a retinal examination for diabetic retinopathy indicates a serious lack of early identification and preventative therapy.

According to Gupta, diabetic retinopathy is caused by a continuous increase in high blood sugar that harms the retina’s tiny blood veins, which are responsible for the light-sensitive tissue at the rear of the eye.

In its early stages, the illness can progress gradually without any noticeable signs, which is what makes it so frightening.

“Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a condition that can endanger vision because these weak vessels may leak fluid or bleed over time, causing swelling, scarring, and even abnormal new vessel growth,” the expert stated.

Historically, the cornerstones of DME have been anti-VEGF injections and laser therapy. However, recent developments in DME treatment are altering the prognosis for patients.

Among these are bispecific antibodies, which provide promise by concurrently addressing several disease pathways, lowering inflammation, regulating aberrant vascular development, and preserving vision for extended periods of time with fewer treatments.

Gupta stated that early detection is crucial for improved results, adding that “these innovations are especially important in a country like India, where the diabetes burden is rising rapidly.”

Patients frequently arrive when serious and perhaps irreparable harm has already been done because screening and diagnosis are delayed. Later on, the illness affects a person’s independence, quality of life, and productivity in addition to limiting the effectiveness of treatment and possibly resulting in total blindness, Gupta continued.

As a standard component of diabetes therapy, the experts recommended routine eye exams.

Nationwide, there is an urgent need to raise public awareness and implement comprehensive screening programs for diabetic retinopathy. Achieving at least 80% screening coverage among people with diabetes by 2030 would be a reasonable goal. Such a strategy is necessary to lessen the burden of preventable blindness and guarantee prompt care for individuals who are at risk,” Vashist said.