More Americans are losing their vision and more are also becoming diabetic. And it looks like the two medical problems are linked.
A new study at Johns Hopkins found vision loss that can't be corrected with glasses increased by about 20 percent in the last six or seven years in adults -- by 40-percent in people 20 to 40 years old.
Dr. David Friedman says, "if we continue at the pace that we're going we're going to see a lot of working age Americans with vision loss related to diabetes."
Researchers evaluated data on vision health from 1999 to 2002 and from 2005 to 2008.
People living below the poverty line had almost twice the rate of vision loss as those with incomes above the poverty level. Education and insurance were also risk factors for vision loss but they improved or stayed the same from one period to another.
According to Dr. Friedman, "the only major risk factor for vision loss that increased over time was diabetes lasting 10 or more years. The prevalence of diabetes is increasing and people are having it longer because they are having it at a younger age."
Blindness is a complication of diabetes.
A new study at Johns Hopkins found vision loss that can't be corrected with glasses increased by about 20 percent in the last six or seven years in adults -- by 40-percent in people 20 to 40 years old.
Dr. David Friedman says, "if we continue at the pace that we're going we're going to see a lot of working age Americans with vision loss related to diabetes."
Researchers evaluated data on vision health from 1999 to 2002 and from 2005 to 2008.
People living below the poverty line had almost twice the rate of vision loss as those with incomes above the poverty level. Education and insurance were also risk factors for vision loss but they improved or stayed the same from one period to another.
According to Dr. Friedman, "the only major risk factor for vision loss that increased over time was diabetes lasting 10 or more years. The prevalence of diabetes is increasing and people are having it longer because they are having it at a younger age."
Blindness is a complication of diabetes.
