Diabetes

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that is a complication of diabetes. In diabetes, levels of blood sugar are chronically elevated due to lack of insulin, an insulin  insensitivity, or a combination of both. Just as sugar combined with water outside the body forms a sticky substance, excessive sugar in the bloodstream does so as well. Sugar adheres to numerous different tissues in the body, causing problems depending on the tissue. Prolonged excessive sugar in the bloodstream tends to damage the blood vessels of the retina, the back part of the eye that sends light signals to the brain. As the blood vessels
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Google has announced plans to build a contact lens that can monitor blood sugar levels. The device that may come replete with miniature, flexible electronics, sensors and antennae. The lens would keep track of blood sugar levels via human tears. Google’s contact lens would be able to alert wearers when their blood sugar levels are too high or too low. For diabetics, this could theoretically free them from the need for frequent finger pricks to check blood sugar. It could also give them tools to better manage their blood sugar. Diabetes can lead to diabetic retinopathy, a serious eye disease (learn more).

While the device still
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Most people are aware that diabetics are at risk for This is because high blood glucose, or high blood sugar levels, puts people at risk for these problems. Yet, many of us don’t realize that we all need to be concerned about the dangers of high blood sugar levels to our overall health.

High blood sugar levels produce advanced glycation end products or AGEs. AEGs have been linked to the aging process, heart disease, and dementia, as well as serious eye diseases. And, while AGEs are more
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Researchers have found that the anti-diabetic drug metformin reduces the production of inflammatory cytokines. When inflammatory cytokines are produced in excess, they cause inflammation that increases cancer risk and the incidence of other diseases.

The University of Montreal researchers reported that metformin inhibits the expression of genes that code for several inflammatory cytokines observed during cellular senescence. These inflammatory cytokines are normally secreted by the
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The obesity epidemic may have an impact on the health of the eyes. While scientific studies do not seem to have found a direct link between obesity and eye disease, maintaining a healthy weight supports your overall health and helps prevent diseases that can harm the eyes. Here’s why.

Obesity is a step up from “overweight.” The National Institute of Health (NIH) in the United States, commonly uses Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a ratio of height to weight. Overweight is a BMI of 25-29, and obesity is a BMI of 30 or more. For example, 5′ 7″ person who weighs 160 pounds would have a BMI of 25 (just barely overweight). This same person at 195 pounds would have a BMI of 30 (obese) and at serious risk of disease such as heart disease, cardio-vascular disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and lower-body joint problems.

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The macular pigment of the eye is formed by a combination of lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein is more than just a filter of blue light and an antioxidant. Consider these points about lutein:

• Animals who received no lutein  in their diets showed early degenerative signs in the retina.
• Macular pigment is important: patients with macular telangiectasia have serious difficulty seeing.
• The role of lutein in reducing the risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the subject of much of much scientific eye research.
• Lutein may cut the risk of cataract formation.

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As the “Baby Boomer” generation in the United States approaches their 60’s and beyond, the incidence of eye disease in this aging population will rise. Eye problems become more prevalent as an individual ages. What are the most common eye diseases in older people? How can eye geriatric eye disease be prevented and addressed naturally? And what does Baby Boomer natural eye care look like?
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The brain and the body are in constant relationship.  This truth is further supported by the recent study published in General Hospital Psychiatry that describes how people who suffer from both depression and diabetes are more likely to end up with diabetic retinopathy.

In a study that controlled such factors as obesity, smoking, and activity, diabetic retinopathy was linked to occurrences of depression.  Over the five year trial, almost one quarter of patients with depression developed the eye disease compared to less than 20% of those who did not have depression.  Researchers extrapolate that depression increases one’s risk of developing retinopathy by 15%.
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Don’t just take it from us that glaucoma risk increases in those who have diabetes, high blood pressure, and who are overweight.  Researchers publishing in the journal Ophthalmology have found that these conditions, which together are labeled “metabolic syndrome” are all linked to the development of open-angle glaucoma.

A staggering 20% of people in America are said to have metabolic syndrome.  Both metabolic syndrome and glaucoma are associated with aging, so, as the US population gets older, scientists believe that both conditions with become more prevalent.
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