The development of type 2 diabetes comes with many complications. Long-term damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications, take years to develop and are a consequence of poorly controlled diabetes. Diabetic complications include coronary heart disease, strokes, damage to nerves (diabetic neuropathy), damage to the kidneys (diabetic nephropathy), complications with vision, and even effects on digestion.
A common complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. This complication damages the blood vessels in the retina, the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A study highlighted the long-lasting benefits of diabetes control on vision, sending a message to diabetes patients who are worried of suffering diabetic retinopathy.
These are some measures you can take to reverse diabetic retinopathy.
The Study
ACCORD, or the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes, is a study with 1,310 participants. ACCORDION, the followup study of ACCORD, tested three treatment strategies to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes. Among these strategies were:
- Keeping blood sugar within normal levels
- Lowering blood pressure
- Lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol
The results from ACCORDION suggest that taking steps into bringing down blood glucose levels can reduce the development of retinal complications in the late phases of type 2 diabetes, and that short-term changes in blood sugar also have an effect. These findings provide even more evidence that glycemic control has positive effects on blood vessels.
So, dear reader. If you suffer from diabetes and its long-term complications, take steps into improving them and increasing your quality of life.
[expand title=”References“]
Diabetes.co.uk. How does diabetes affect the body? Accessed Feb 14, 2017.
NIH/National Eye Institute. “Eye study underscores the long-lasting benefits of controlling diabetes: Study shows less diabetic retinopathy progression among those who underwent intensive glycemic control.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 June 2016
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