New Delhi: Diabetic retinopathy is rapidly developing as the leading cause of vision loss in India, with the condition remaining unrecognised till vision loss has set in, according to health experts on Saturday, ahead of World Retina Day. World Retina Day is observed annually on the last Sunday of September to raise awareness about retinal health. With India being the diabetes capital of the world, diabetic retinopathy is emerging as a significant cause of concern in the country. As a result, early detection remains crucial, the experts said.
“Diabetes is already an epidemic in India, and diabetic retinopathy is rapidly emerging as a public health problem. It is developing as one of the leading causes of visual impairment in the country,” Dr. Praveen Vashist, Professor and Officer In-charge, Community Ophthalmology, RP Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi, told IANS. “Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common and serious complications of diabetic patients, yet it remains unrecognised until vision loss sets in,” added Dr. Vishali Gupta, Vice President, VRSI & Head – Retina, PGIMS.
According to the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey, 2019, conducted by RP Centre, AIIMS, nearly 12 per cent of the population aged 50 years and above had diabetes. Among them, approximately 17 per cent had diabetic retinopathy. Alarmingly, only about 10 per cent of people with diabetes had ever undergone a retinal examination for diabetic retinopathy, reflecting a significant gap in early detection and preventive care. Gupta told IANS that in simple words, a persistent rise in high blood sugar damages the small blood vessels in the retina — the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, causing diabetic retinopathy.
What makes the condition particularly concerning is that it can progress silently without obvious symptoms in the early stages.“Over time, these weakened vessels may leak fluid or bleed, leading to swelling, scarring, and even abnormal new vessel growth, all of which lead to a condition called Diabetic macular edema (DME), which can threaten vision,” the expert said. Traditionally, laser therapy and anti-VEGF injections have been the mainstay for DME. But now, a few advances in the treatment of DME are changing the outlook for patients. This includes bispecific antibodies, which offer hope by targeting multiple disease pathways simultaneously, helping reduce inflammation, control abnormal vessel growth, and preserve vision for longer durations with fewer treatments.
“These innovations are especially important in a country like India, where the diabetes burden is rising rapidly,” Gupta said, while stressing the need for early detection to get better outcomes. “Delayed screening and diagnosis mean that patients often present when significant and sometimes irreversible damage has already occurred. In the later stage, the disease not only limits treatment success, but can also lead to complete blindness, impacting a person’s independence, quality of life, and productivity,” Gupta added. The experts suggested regular eye check-ups as a routine part of diabetes care. “Public awareness and systematic screening initiatives for diabetic retinopathy must be urgently promoted nationwide. A realistic target would be to achieve at least 80 per cent screening coverage among individuals with diabetes by the year 2030. Such an approach is essential to reduce the burden of avoidable blindness and ensure timely intervention for those at risk,” Vashist told IANS.
