Researchers gain insight into diabetes-related retinal damage

Scientists in the US have identified the biological process that causes retinal cells to die as a result of diabetes.

A study led by Susanne Mohr, associate professor of physiology at Michigan State University, found that protein produced by the body when blood sugar levels are high can result in damage to the eye, a condition known as retinopathy.

Dr Iain Frame, director of research at health charity Diabetes UK, said: "Retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes and it is the leading cause of blindness in the working age population in the UK."

The condition develops when blood vessels in the retina of the eye become blocked, leaky or grow haphazardly. The new research is investigating how and why this damage to the blood vessels occurs.

There are currently more than 2.6 million people with diabetes nationwide, with up to half a million people who have the condition remaining unaware.

It is estimated that 15 per cent of adults and children with diabetes have Type-1, which usually requires regular treatment with insulin, while 16 to 85 per cent of people have Type-2, which is often manageable through diet, exercise and medication.

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