via BlackDoctor:
Diabetes retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. African Americans bear a disproportionate burden of retinopathy. They are twice as likely to suffer from retinopathy as non-Hispanic whites.
It is estimated that 828,000 African Americans currently have retinopathy with projections for 2030 reaching a high of one million. Despite these dismal numbers, there is good news. You can prevent diabetic retinopathy by controlling your diabetes and learning more about the disease.
What causes retinopathy?
Retinopathy is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina, the lining in the back of the eye that senses light. The blood vessels in the eye are very delicate and can easily be damaged or clogged. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, retinal blood vessels may swell and leak fluid.
In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. But the new ones are weak and prone to break and leak blood into your eye causing you to see spots or “floaters.” As the vessels break, scar tissue builds up, pulling the retina away from the wall of the eye. This is what causes blindness.
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