Preface

Diabetic eye disease is a heterogeneous group of disorders that affect the diabetic population and include diabetic retinopathy, cataract, macular edema, glaucoma, as well as other manifestations of the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. Among these manifestations, diabetic retinopathy and cataract are the most common cause of visual impairment and blindness. In fact people with diabetes are 25 times more likely to develop blindness compared to the general population, and diabetes is the most common cause of blindness among adults 20-74 years of age.

While diabetic retinopathy affects nearly 60% of patients with type 2 diabetes, in type 1 diabetes it is almost universal to develop diabetic retinopathy 15- 20 years after the diagnosis of diabetes is made.

With the rapid rise of obesity, diabetes has become the modern-day epidemic with its attendant complications including diabetic eye disease that leaves millions of people visually disabled, significantly decreasing the quality of life and markedly increasing the risk of injury.

In this volume on Diabetes and the Eye: Latest Concepts and Practices, we have assembled a group of renowned scholars with special expertise in diabetic eye disease, addressing a wide range of topics in a highly scientific, yet easy to read format that will benefit the generalist as well as the specialist and will appeal to the student, the graduate and the practicing physician who commonly encounter diabetic eye disorders, putting practical, yet cutting edge information at their fingertips.

Topics covered in this volume include the epidemiology and trends of the diabetes epidemic and diabetic eye disorders, the pathophysiologic mechanisms of diabetic eye disease and the various manifestations of diabetic complications in the eye. We highlight the latest research findings, the cutting edge diagnostic methods and the most recent developments in the management of retinopathy and other complications. We also discuss future directions and the latest developments in this exciting and rapidly developing field.