Patients who live in rural communities, Hispanic patients and Black patients with pre-existing diabetic retinopathy are less likely to receive annual diabetic eye exams than white patients, according to a recent Northwestern Medicine study published in JAMA Ophthalmology . The findings demonstrate how social determinants of health can fuel disparities in monitoring for diabetic retinopathy , a common complication of diabetes, for patients of different racial and ethnic groups . "This points to the need to really understand the 'why' factor and how we can actually turn the corner to get these patients to be seen more often so that they don't have vision-threatening diseases," said Dustin French, Ph.
D., professor of Ophthalmology and of Medical Social Sciences in the Division of Determinants of Health, and senior author of the study. More than 38.
1 million adults were living with diabetes (type 1 and type 2) in 2021, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A common complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy where high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels in the retina, which can lead to vision loss and permanent blindness. Routine monitoring and annual eye exams can help prevent or identify diabetic retinopathy early on; however, disparities in access to high-quality eye-care persist, with previous work having shown that diabetic retinopathy risk and severity is higher in Black patients with diabetes compared to white patients .
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