Retinopathy

[Raphael]

Hello everyone,

As you all know, eyes problems are one of the complications of diabetes. Personally, this complication makes me quite afraid because I do not really think I will be able to keep on living being blind.

Until now, I was relatively confident with this, thinking that this kind of complication was "relatively rare" and reserved to very unbalanced diabetes. But recently, I read something in a book showing the evolution of the incidence of diabetic retinopathy depending on the age of diabetes and it appears that after 20 years of diabetes, the frequency is over 90% for type 1 diabetes (and more than 60% for type 2).

Therefore, I wonder if approximately all type 1 diabetics will have retinopathy in their lives that will require laser treatment (at best ...). Can anybody answer me?

Thank you in advance (and I apologized for my relatively bad English).

Raphaël

 

[ChocFish]

Hi Raphael, I dont know about facts and figures about retinopathy, we have people in this forum who have been diabetic for many years and have no complications at all, my elderly aunt was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 18, she is in her 80s now and has had no complications at all, she wears reading glasses but that is due to her age, she swears by eating blueberries, but its not based on any science but folk medicine and advice passed on through generations.

I think all we can and must do is control our bgs and stay as healthy as we can to try and avoid complications. Dont worry ahead, enjoy your life every day best as you can, and if something does happen, if you do get retinopathy or whatever (I most certainly hope not!!!) you can deal with it then, there is no point spoiling your life right now over something that may never happen.

All the best

Karen

 

[Nellie]

I have also seen those figures but the develoment of retinopathy is also hugely influence by glycemic control. I have another graph in front of me that shows the percentage cumilative risk of first time retinopathy compared with HBA1C. After 15 years 2% of people with HbA1cs of 6% will develop it, during the same period 89% of people with averages of 9% will develop it. 100% of people with HbA1cs over 12% will develop it within 9 years. Sadly many people do not control their diabetes well (the statistics also reflect the past when the importance of tight control was perhaps less well understood and for many people difficult to achieve)

Even if the first signs are detected tighter BS control can help. The progression rate of retinopathy is 37% less for each 1% reduction in the HbA1C (there is a caveat in that a quick reduction can make things worse in the short term) see http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/prevention/hba1c_and_retinopathy.htm

Like you, I live in France, you should be having annual eye examinations, any problems should be spotted early. Karen gives some good advice about enjoying your life now and dealing with things as they happen.

 

[IanD]

From the "CARBS - let's start again" thread:

Excellent idea Eddie,

The regulars know my story by now, but I'll repeat it for this thread.
I've been type 1 diabetic for 27 years. By 2001, I had followed a lowish fat, starchy carbohydrate diet much as recommended by the dietary advice provided to diabetics by the NHS / DUK. I was borderline obese at 16 stone 8, my HbA1c's had crept up into 8% territory, my lipid levels were poor and early warning signs of retinopathy were detected. I suffered occasional spontaneous blackouts due to hypoglycemia. It was a familiar path followed by many diabetics and quite acceptable to my health professionals.
I tried to lose some weight by restricting carbohydrates and reducing insulin doses. I found that my weight began to improve and my blood sugar levels became more stable and predictable. I also felt less hungry and less prone to hypos because I was using much less insulin to cover my meals.
12 months after I began, I had lost 4 stones in weight, my HbA1c's had fallen to 4.7%, the retinopathy disappeared and I felt reborn. 7 years on, my weight, lipds and HbA1c remain non-diabetic.
At my last check-up in April, my Doctor told me none of my test results were those of a diabetic and maybe they'd do a c-peptide test just to make sure it hadn't all been a mistake!
I now eat a low-carbohydrate diet, avoiding all sugars, refined and starchy carbohydrates and have never eaten a more delicious or satisfying variety of foods.

All the best,

fergus

I am now showing signs of retinopathy in one eye, & am also going low carb.