The president of the Consejo General de Colegios de Ópticos-Optometristas (CGCOO), Andrés Gené, has warned that one of the major risks of diabetes to the eyes is that many people believe their eye health is fine because they maintain good visual acuity, when in reality injuries to the retina may already be occurring.
"We cannot wait for symptoms to appear to act," he stressed on the occasion of the celebration, on November 14, of World Day of the disease, which "can cause eye and visual changes even before the patient perceives the first symptoms." "Some of these complications can cause irreversible damage if they are not detected and treated in time," he emphasized.
In this regard, Gené highlighted the need to go for regular visual and eye check-ups and to opt for early detection. According to the 'Diabetes Atlas' of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), corresponding to 2025, around 5.1 million adults live with this condition in Spain. Early identification of changes and a rapid start to treatment "make it possible to significantly reduce the risk of severe visual loss," he said.
"One of the main risks is diabetic retinopathy, a complication that affects the blood vessels of the retina and that can progress for years without causing noticeable changes in vision," he continued, adding that "this initial absence of symptoms can create a false sense of security and delay the identification of lesions that, without adequate monitoring and treatment, can lead to permanent visual loss."
In relation to this, he pointed out that diabetic retinopathy ranks among the leading causes of preventable vision loss in people with diabetes. Its progression can lead to severe problems such as diabetic macular edema, which compromises the central area of the retina and can make it difficult to carry out activities as common as reading, driving, or recognizing faces.
More visual complications associated with diabetes
Gené has added that the disease can cause fluctuations in vision linked to variations in blood glucose levels, promote the development of cataracts, and increase the risk of other eye conditions. In addition, he referred to a scientific review published in December of last year in the journal 'Gaceta de Optometría y Óptica Oftálmica', carried out by researchers from the University of Valencia, including Gené himself, which brings together evidence that both diabetes and prediabetes can cause alterations in accommodation, responsible for focusing at different distances, and in binocular vision, essential for coordinating both eyes.
"These dysfunctions can manifest as blurred vision, visual fatigue, or difficulties in maintaining reading and carrying out near tasks, even in people who still do not show signs of diabetic retinopathy", he said, adding that a relationship is also identified between some of the alterations and glycemic control, which reinforces the importance of a comprehensive optometric assessment that does not limit itself to checking visual acuity or refraction.
Nonetheless, he emphasized that "loss of vision associated with diabetes is not inevitable". "We have tools to detect many of its complications before they cause serious damage," so "the key is that patients know the risks, keep up with their checkups, and receive care in time," he stressed.
"Opticians-optometrists are healthcare professionals with specific competencies in the evaluation of visual function," he stated, while also declaring that in people with diabetes, the intervention "must not be limited to checking whether they see well or need to change their refraction".
Thus, he indicated that "it is important to assess accommodation, binocular vision, and other visual functions that may be affected by the disease, as well as to identify warning signs and facilitate appropriate referral when necessary". Finally, he highlighted "coordination with ophthalmologists, Primary Care physicians, and endocrinologists".