Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetes causes an excessive amount of glucose to remain in the bloodstream, which may damage the blood vessels. Within the eye, the damaged vessels may leak blood and fluid into the surrounding tissues and cause vision problems.

Review Date: 8/29/2018

Reviewed By: Robert Hurd, MD, Professor of Endocrinology and Health Care Ethics, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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