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AOA survey reveals misconceptions about diabetes
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More than half of Americans do not know comprehensive eye exams can detect diabetes, and 79% of Americans are unaware that diabetic eye diseases have no visible symptoms, according to the 2016 American Eye-Q Survey by the American Optometric Association.
"In 2014 alone, eye doctors found diabetes-related manifestations in 240,000 patients who were not aware they had diabetes, leading to a prompt diagnosis and care [that] minimizes the risk of complications," AOA President Andrea P. Thau, OD, said in the press release.
The AOA advocates for regular, dilated eye exams for those with diabetes, or at risk for diabetes, because the alternatives, such as online vision apps, only check for refractive errors and cannot detect diabetes, according to the release.
The survey was designed to drive education of eye health issues.
The study found that only 54% of those surveyed with diabetes regularly visit their doctor of optometry to understand the impact of diabetes on their overall eye health, according to the release.