Vision-Related Functional Burden of Diabetic Retinopathy Across Severity Levels in the United States

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness among working age adults in the United States and can significantly affect an individual’s quality of life and functional capabilities. The estimated number of Americans 40 years and older with a DR diagnosis is expected to triple between 2005 and 2050, from 5.5 million to 16 million individuals.¹ Although many of these patients will have mild DR, they are at risk for progressing to the more severe forms of DR and experiencing a significant decline in productivity, mental health, and quality of life.^2-4 In particular, Mazhar et al³ found that worsening severity of DR was significantly associated with worse general and vision-specific quality of life in a Latino-based population. However, these studies^2-4 were conducted in clinic-based populations or population-based studies focused on particular ethnic/racial groups, limiting the generalizability of the results to the US population.