1. An Overview of Diabetic Eye
Disease
By Dr. Anthony Roberts

2. Introduction
• As an eye physician with Shady Grove
Ophthalmology in Rockville, Maryland, Dr. Anthony
Roberts has performed more than 55,000 refractive
procedures, including Lasik procedures, over the
course of his career. Dr. Anthony Roberts treats a
variety of patients, including individuals
experiencing eye problems attributed to diabetes.
Diabetes can affect various parts of the human body,
including the eyes. Diabetic eye disease can take a
variety of forms, ranging from cataracts and
glaucoma to diabetic retinopathy.

3. Diabetic Eye Disease
• Cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens, often
develops in younger individuals with diabetes.
Glaucoma, meanwhile, can be defined as an increase
in pressure of the fluids inside the eye. This pressure
can create optic nerve damage and eventually lead to
loss of vision. Diabetic individuals are twice as likely
to develop glaucoma as adults without diabetes.
Finally, diabetic retinopathy, which is the leading
cause of blindness among adults in the United
States, results from damaged blood vessels
throughout the retina. Early treatment can reduce a
person's risk of blindness.