Researchers Question Timetable of Diabetic Eye Exams

Tuesday, February 15th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The American Diabetes Association recommends that all diabetics have an annual eye exam. Since there are no symptoms, the screening exam is the best way to find the earliest signs of diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of adult blindness in the U-S.
"I did not know I had anything wrong with my eyes until the doctor started looking at it very closely under dilated pupil,â€said patient Bernard Krauss. â€œThat's the thing that's scariest the about it. There is no clue that anything's going wrong."

Krauss has had nearly 20 laser treatments since his diabetic retinopathy was diagnosed during a routine screening exam two years ago. Research shows laser therapy greatly reduces the risk of severe vision loss. But what happened to Krauss doesn't necessarily point to the need for regular exams.

Here's what a new study in the journal of the American Medical Assocation concluded.
"Most people with diabetes should probably get an exam every other year as opposed to the every year that's been recommended in the past,â€said Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Health Services spokesperson Dr. Sandeeep Vijan.

Researchers from the Ann Arbor Veterans administration health services and the University of Michigan looked at data from patients with type 2 adult onset diabetes. They determined that annual eye exams actually provide little added benefit for many patients in preserving vision. "If you're going to set a quality standard, it should be a minimum of every other year exams, and that we should strive to make sure that people get exams at least every other year as long as their blood sugar control is reasonable,â€ Vijan noted. â€œNow there certainly are patients at higher risk who have poor glucose control or poor blood pressure control where an annual eye exam is worth doing.â€

Researchers say the study does not minimize the importance of screening for diabetes complications. It only questions the timetable.

Only one study has been conducted, so be sure to talk to your doctor about your need for eye exams. Researchers of this study believe the money saved from the eye exams can be used to help control high blood pressure and high blood sugar which contribute to diabetic eye disease.