American Academy of Ophthalmology Experts Available Re: Diabetic Retinopathy, an Increasingly Common Cause of Blindness

American Academy of Ophthalmology offers experts to comment on one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S.: diabetic retinopathy. An estimated 26 million Americans currently have diabetes, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These rising rates of diabetes have contributed to an 89 percent increase in cases of diabetic eye disease since the year 2000, according to Prevent Blindness America. To interview an ophthalmologist about diabetic eye disease, please contact Christine Douglass at the American Academy of Ophthalmology at [email protected], or 202-413-0795 (cell). Learn more about diabetic eye disease at: http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/diabetic-retinopathy.cfm