New Research Estimates More Than 8 Million Americans Have Diabetic Retinopathy

New research from Prevent Blindness estimates more than 8 million Americans have diabetic retinopathy, and that number is expected to increase in the coming years.

Through the study "The Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems," researchers project by 2050 those with diabetic retinopathy will increase 72 percent from 7.7 million to 13.2 million. And although currently 67 percent of diabetic retinopathy cases are among Caucasians and 17 percent among Hispanics, by 2050 the percentages are expected to change to 45 percent and 35 percent, respectively.

To help raise awareness around diabetic retinopathy, Prevent Blindness has named November as Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month and is offering a variety of free resources on their website, including the free "Healthy Eyes Education Series, Adult Vision Problems Module."

Click here to read the full press release.