National Diabetes Awareness Week runs from 13–19 July.
Diabetes is a growing concern in Australia, with its prevalence slowly rising. Like the ripples in a pond, it impacts the individual, their family, the community, and economy.
In type 1 diabetes, symptoms are often sudden and can be life threatening, making it easy and fast to diagnose.
In type 2 diabetes – which is increasing at the fastest rate – symptoms often go unnoticed and can be assumed to be part of the ageing process.
Gestational diabetes, which affects about one in seven women during pregnancy, usually goes away after the baby is born but increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Diabetes complications include sight-threatening disease, and yet many people with diabetes neglect regular eye screenings due to lack of awareness or prioritising other medical needs.
In this issue we turn our attention to diabetes-related eye disease to ensure you are armed with the latest information in the lead up to National Diabetes Awareness Week.
We tell the story of Amber Mauigoa, a young woman who is now living well with diabetes having initially struggled with treatment options that resulted in her becoming critically ill with diabetic ketoacidosis.
Dr Brighu Swamy and Dr Dov Hersh write our CPD-accredited ophthalmology article on the shifting paradigms in treatment for diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Orthoptist and certified nutritionist Peggie Moynihan writes an article on the emerging evidence behind the role of nutrition to preserve vision. Optometrist Dr Amira Howari writes a CPD article about the intricate relationship between diabetes mellitus and the increased prevalence and severity of dry eye disease. And in a further CPD article, ophthalmologist Dr Christolyn Raj writes about how learnings from her recent research – a prospective multicentre clinical trial looking at visual outcomes in diabetic patients following cataract surgery – can be applied in clinics. Dr Raj presented her findings at the European Society of Ophthalmology conference last month.
Elsewhere we have a CPD article on presbyopia management with contact lenses and one on options for intraocular lenses – plenty to keep you occupied and learning through the cooler months of the year.
Enjoy!
Melanie Kell
Editor, mivision
