Diabetes-related Eye Research Articles

Trends in Prevalence and Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema and Vision-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy Among Medicare Part B Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries

While diabetes prevalence among US adults has increased in recent decades, few studies document trends in diabetes-related eye disease. To examine 10-year trends (2009-2018) in annual prevalence of Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes with a diagnosis of diabetic macular edema (DME) or vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) and trends in treatment. In this cross-sectional study using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services research identifiable files, data for patients 65 years and older were analyzed from claims. Beneficiaries were continuously enrolled in Medicare Part B fee-for-service (FFS) insurance for the calendar year and had a diagnosis of diabetes on 1 or more inpatient claims or 2 or more outpatient claims during the calendar year or a 1-year look-back period. Using diagnosis and procedure codes, annual prevalence was determined for beneficiaries with 1 or more claims for (1) any DME, (2) either DME or VTDR, and (3) anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections, laser photocoagulation, or vitrectomy, stratified by any DME, VTDR with DME, and VTDR without DME. Racial and ethnic disparities in diagnosis and treatment are presented for 2018. In 2018, 6 960 823 beneficiaries (27.4%) had diabetes; half were aged 65 to 74 years (49.7%), half (52.7%) were women, and 75.7% were non-Hispanic White. From 2009 to 2018, there was an increase in the annual prevalence of beneficiaries with diabetes who had 1 or more claims for any DME (1.0% to 3.3%) and DME/VTDR (2.8% to 4.3%). Annual prevalence of anti-VEGF increased, particularly among patients with any DME (15.7% to 35.2%) or VTDR with DME (20.2% to 47.6%). Annual prevalence of laser photocoagulation decreased among those with any DME (45.5% to 12.5%), VTDR with DME (54.0% to 20.3%), and VTDR without DME (22.5% to 5.8%). Among all 3 groups, prevalence of vitrectomy in 2018 was less than half that in 2009. Prevalence of any DME and DME/VTDR was highest among Hispanic beneficiaries (5.0% and 7.0%, respectively) and Black beneficiaries (4.5% and 6.2%, respectively) and lowest among non-Hispanic White beneficiaries (3.0% and 3.8%, respectively). Among those with DME/VTDR, anti-VEGF was most prevalent among non-Hispanic White beneficiaries (30.3%). From 2009 to 2018, prevalence of DME or VTDR increased among Medicare Part B FFS beneficiaries alongside an increase in anti-VEGF treatment and a decline in laser photocoagulation and vitrectomy.

Ten Key Elements of a Diabetes-Related Eye Examination

Diabetes-related eye examinations focus on detecting the impact of diabetes on ocular health, including diabetes-related retinal disease (DRD), diabetes-related macular edema (DME), glaucoma, and cataracts. Screening and early treatment can often halt or reverse the level of DRD and protect eyesight. This chapter reviews the 10 key elements of a diabetes-related eye exam: history, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, pupils, extraocular motility, visual field, external examination, slit-lamp examination, dilated funduscopic examination, and diagnostic testing. By its conclusion, readers should understand the basics of a diabetes-related eye exam and how to prepare people for their visits to an eye care professional (ECP).

Introduction

The current publication builds on that foundation to address pragmatic approaches to improving bidirectional communication between eye care professionals (ECPs) and primary and specialty diabetes health care professionals (HCPs) and reducing barriers to diabetes-related eye care. In this compendium, we have chosen to use the term “diabetes-related retinal disease” (DRD) to reflect the involvement of the entire retina, including both vascular and neural elements. The principles set forth in the first compendium remain the basis for the clinical practice of ECPs when treating people with diabetes. Here, we describe the health status information ECPs need from HCPs, and the eye examination reports HCPs need from ECPs to improve diabetes and eye health outcomes for the patients they share. We also discuss the challenges of and opportunities to improve the detection and timely treatment of DRD in all people with diabetes, with a particular emphasis on individuals who are socioeconomically disadvantaged or face other significant impediments to obtaining recommended eye care services.

Novel insights into the consequences of obesity: a phenotype-wide Mendelian randomization study

Obesity is thought to significantly impact the quality of life. In this study, we sought to evaluate the health consequences of obesity on the risk of a broad spectrum of human diseases. The causal effects of exposing to obesity on health outcomes were inferred using Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses using a fixed effects inverse-variance weighted model. The instrumental variables were SNPs associated with obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI) reported by GIANT consortium. The spectrum of outcome consisted of the phenotypes from published GWAS and the UK Biobank. The MR-Egger intercept test was applied to estimate horizontal pleiotropic effects, along with Cochran’s Q test to assess heterogeneity among the causal effects of instrumental variables. Our MR results confirmed many putative disease risks due to obesity, such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, sleep disorder, gout, smoking behaviors, arthritis, myocardial infarction, and diabetes-related eye disease. The novel findings indicated that elevated red blood cell count was inferred as a mediator of BMI-induced type 2 diabetes in our bidirectional MR analysis. Intriguingly, the effects that higher BMI could decrease the risk of both skin and prostate cancers, reduce calorie intake, and increase the portion size warrant further studies. Our results shed light on a novel mechanism of the disease-causing roles of obesity.

Diabetic Retinopathy and the Principles of Screening

Diabetes-related eye problems are a growing eye health concern globally, and diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. Ideally, people with diabetes should have an initial comprehensive eye examination, including fundus examination through dilated pupils, and then followed up with recommended intervals. However, in reality, this cannot be achieved because of the limitations in the human resources and health facilities, among others. On the other hand, fundus screening for DR justifies the suggested principles for screening for combating a disease. DR screening programs at the local/regional/national level can serve as an effective way for the diagnosis and treatment of vision-threatening DR in people with diabetes. These programs need to be tailored according to the human resources and the infrastructure of the community; they will serve, and they should have a monitoring system in place, as well. The availability, accessibility, and affordability of the treatment should also be ensured for people with vision-threatening DR.

Associations of ophthalmic and systemic conditions with incident dementia in the UK Biobank

AimsTo examine independent and interactive associations of ophthalmic and systemic conditions with incident dementia.MethodsOur analysis included 12 364 adults aged 55–73 years from the UK Biobank cohort. Participants were assessed...

Histological and Biochemical evaluation of the therapeutic influence of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells versus Genistein on induced diabetic retinopathy in adult male albino rats

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes-related eye disease that can result in vision loss. Mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow (BMSC) hold great promise for new medical therapies. Genistein is a naturally occurring compound found in soy products. It has been used to alleviate and regulate blood glucose levels.Aim: The goal of this research was to assess and compare the potential efficacy of Genistein versus BMSC in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.Materials and methods: 53 adult male albino rats were split into four groups: control group (I), diabetic group (II) (single STZ dose 60 mg / kg I.P), Diabetic + BMSCs group (III) (0.2 ml of PKH26 labelled MSCs suspension in BPS 3x106 cells/ml) intravitreal to diabetic rats and Diabetic + Genistein group (IV) (0.18 mg/kg orally). Animals were anesthetized and sacrificed at the end of the study (8 weeks). Both animal eyes were removed for histological, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopic analyses. Biochemical and morphometric studies had been carried out.Results: Diabetic group had a reduced total retinal thickness as well as destructed photoreceptor layer. The inner nuclear layer has thinned and exposing darkly stained nuclei. The ganglion cells showed pyknotic nuclei. Vacuolation was evident in the plexiform layers. The immuno-expression of caspase-3, COX-2, and vimentin increased significantly. Ultrastructural changes revealed pigmented epithelium degradation, disorganized and vacuolated photoreceptors associated with condensed nuclei, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and distorted mitochondria of bipolar cells. Biochemically, antioxidant enzymes including glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were declined, while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased dramatically. Both BMMSCs and Genistein improved histological structure of diabetic retina.Conclusion: Though both BMSCs and Genistein were found to be effective potential intervention therapy for diabetic retinopathy, Genistein could be a promising therapy that delays the development of early pathological processes in diabetics prior to vision loss.

Knowledge of ocular complications of diabetes in community-based people with type 2 diabetes: The Fremantle Diabetes Study II

AimsTo assess knowledge of diabetes-related eye disease in Australians with type 2 diabetes and its associations with diabetic retinopathy (DR), other ocular complications and vision-related quality of life. MethodsA random sample from the Fremantle Diabetes Study Phase II cohort (n = 360) was invited to participate. Knowledge was assessed using 10 multiple-choice questions covering how diabetes affects the eyes, frequency of ophthalmic screening, risk factors, prevention, available treatments, and prognosis. DR was assessed from fundus photographs. Multiple linear regression was used to identify independent associates of the knowledge score (KS). ResultsWe included 264 participants (mean ± SD age 72.1 ± 9.2 years, 56.8% male, median [IQR] diabetes duration 15.4 [11.1–22.3] years). The mean ± SD KS out of 10 was 5.3 ± 1.8. Most (67%) participants knew diabetes can affect the eye and lead to blindness. Only 13.6% knew that DR screening intervals depend on risk factors. Those with moderate non-proliferative DR (NPDR) or worse had a better knowledge score (B = 1.37,P = 0.008) after adjusting for age (B = −0.03, P = 0.004) and education beyond primary school (B = 1.75, P < 0.001). ConclusionsOverall knowledge of diabetes-related ocular complications was suboptimal. Education targeting eye disease may benefit people with type 2 diabetes who are older, less well educated and/or who have no DR/mild NPDR.

Diabetic eye disease: A review of screening and management recommendations.

The prevalence of diabetes is rapidly increasing, and it is now the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Although early detection of diabetic retinopathy is key to preventing vision loss, many patients do not receive appropriate examinations. Using a multidisciplinary approach, primary care physicians and eye care providers should follow evidence-based recommendations for screening and monitoring diabetic patients while working to improve patients' glycaemic index, blood pressure, and metabolic risk factors. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor intravitreal injections in combination with panretinal photocoagulation and focal laser treatment remain the cornerstones of modern therapy. The many landmark studies for diabetic eye disease management should guide counselling and decision making for treating diabetic macular oedema, proliferative retinopathy and other diabetes-related eye diseases.

Diagnosis of Neem Leaf Diseases Using Fuzzy-HOBINM and ANFIS Algorithms

This paper proposes an approach to detecting diseases in neem leaf that uses a Fuzzy-Higher Order Biologically Inspired Neuron Model (F-HOBINM) and adaptive neuro classifier (ANFIS). India exports USD 0.28-million worth of neem leaf to the UK, USA, UAE, and Europe in the form of dried leaves and powder, both of which help reduce diabetes-related issues, cardiovascular problems, and eye disorders. Diagnosing neem leaf disease is difficult through visual interpretation, owing to similarity in their color and texture patterns. The most common diseases include bacterial blight, Colletotrichum and Alternaria leaf spot, blight, damping-off, powdery mildew, Pseudocercospora leaf spot, leaf web blight, and seedling wilt. However, traditional color and texture algorithms fail to identify leaf diseases due to irregular lumps and surfaces, and rough ridges, as the classification time involved takes as long as a week. The proposed F-HOBINM algorithm recognizes the leaf intensity through the leaky capacitor, and uses subjective intensity and physical stimulus to interpret the diagnosis. Further, the processed leaf images from the HOBINM algorithm are applied to the ANFIS classifier to identify neem leaf diseases. The experimental results show 92.18% accuracy from a database of 1,462 neem leaves.

Automated Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy using Medical Image Processing Techniques

Glaucoma is an eye disease that can result in blindness if it is not detected and treated in proper time. Diabetic related eye diseases like Diabetic Retinopathy , Diabetic Maculopathy are major cause of blindness. Early detection of diabetic diseases plays an important role to prevent blindness. In last few years there are several researches done in medical image processing and detection from the fund us images such as Optic disk and the retinal vessels done in the automated detection of Diabetic retinopathy , Diabetic Maculopathy . This research paper represents the methods which are used in the automated detection of diabetic retinopathy. The recent methods used to detect the factors like hemorrhages and Micro Aneurysms are also discussed in this paper

Epidemiology of visual impairment, sight-threatening or treatment-requiring diabetic eye disease in children and young people in the UK: findings from DECS

BackgroundWe investigated the incidence and causes of sight-threatening diabetes-related eye disease in children living with diabetes in the UK, to inform the national eye screening programme and enable monitoring of...

332-OR: Medicare Part B Fee-for-Service Claims for Diabetes-Related Eye Diseases

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of incident blindness among working age U.S. adults. Only slightly more than half of Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes receive an annual eye exam, and this rate is lower among Hispanic and black beneficiaries compared to white beneficiaries. Objective: We examine racial/ethnic differences in diabetes-related eye disease and treatment claims, among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes. Methods: We analyzed 2017 Medicare claims for 8,341,000 beneficiaries (both ≥65 years and &amp;lt;65 years with disabilities) with diagnosed diabetes who were continuously enrolled during 2017 in Part B fee-for-service (FFS) insurance. Diagnoses for diabetes and diabetes-related eye diseases were defined using ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes and treatments were classified using procedure codes in the claims. We present crude national percentages. Results: In 2017, 28% of FFS beneficiaries had diabetes. Of these, 9.6% had a claim for any diabetes-related eye disease; this annual rate was higher among Hispanic (13.1%), non-Hispanic black (11.2%), and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.4%) beneficiaries than among white beneficiaries (8.7%). Early/mild diabetic retinopathy was the most prevalent form (6.3%) and diabetic macular edema was the least prevalent (0.6%). Of beneficiaries with diabetes-related eye disease, 15.2% had at least one type of treatment; treatment types received were anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections (11.8%), laser photocoagulation (4.7%), vitrectomy (1.3%), and retinal detachment repair (0.7%). Annual prevalence of any treatment was higher among Hispanic (19.0%) and non-Hispanic black (15.5%) beneficiaries compared to white beneficiaries (14.7%); it was lowest among Asian/Pacific Islander beneficiaries (12.9%). Conclusions: Annually, around one-in-ten Medicare Part B FFS beneficiaries with diabetes has a claim for diabetes-related eye disease, and this rate is higher among Hispanic and black beneficiaries. Disclosure E.A. Lundeen: None. D.B. Rein: None. J. Wittenborn: None. J.B. Saaddine: None.

NOD-like Receptors in the Eye: Uncovering Its Role in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an ocular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). International Diabetic Federations (IDF) estimates up to 629 million people with DM by the year 2045 worldwide. Nearly 50% of DM patients will show evidence of diabetic-related eye problems. Therapeutic interventions for DR are limited and mostly involve surgical intervention at the late-stages of the disease. The lack of early-stage diagnostic tools and therapies, especially in DR, demands a better understanding of the biological processes involved in the etiology of disease progression. The recent surge in literature associated with NOD-like receptors (NLRs) has gained massive attraction due to their involvement in mediating the innate immune response and perpetuating inflammatory pathways, a central phenomenon found in the pathogenesis of ocular diseases including DR. The NLR family of receptors are expressed in different eye tissues during pathological conditions suggesting their potential roles in dry eye, ocular infection, retinal ischemia, cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME) and DR. Our group is interested in studying the critical early components involved in the immune cell infiltration and inflammatory pathways involved in the progression of DR. Recently, we reported that NLRP3 inflammasome might play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of DR. This comprehensive review summarizes the findings of NLRs expression in the ocular tissues with special emphasis on its presence in the retinal microglia and DR pathogenesis.

Spectrum of eye disorders in diabetes (SPEED) in India: Eye care facility based study. Report # 1. Eye disorders in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose:To document the spectrum of eye diseases in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) reporting to large eye care facilities in India.Methods:The selection of eye care facilities was based on the zone of the country and robustness of the programs. Only people with known T2DM certified by internist, or taking antidiabetes medications, or referred for diabetes related eye diseases were recruited. The analysis included the demographic characteristics, systemic associations, ocular comorbidities, and visual status.Results:People (11,182) with T2DM were recruited in 14 eye care facilities (3 in north, 2 in south central, 4 in south, 2 in west, and 3 in east zone); two were government and 12 were non-government facilities. Hypertension was the commonest systemic association (n = 5500; 49.2%). Diabetic retinopathy (n = 3611; 32.3%) and lens opacities (n = 6407; 57.3%) were the common ocular disorders. One-fifth of eyes (n = 2077; 20.4%) were pseudophakic; 547 (5.4%) eyes had glaucoma and 277 (2.5%) eyes had retinal vascular occlusion. At presentation, 4.5% (n = 502) were blind (visual acuity <3/60 in the better eye) and 9.6% (n = 1077) had moderate to severe visual impairment (visual acuity <6/18-->3/60 in the better eye).Conclusion:People with T2DM presenting at eye clinics in India have high rates of diabetic retinopathy and vision loss. Cataract is a very common occurrence. Advocacy, infrastructure strengthening, and human resource development are the key to address the growing threats of T2DM and eye care in India.

Disparities in Receipt of Eye Exams Among Medicare Part B Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries with Diabetes - United States, 2017.

Approximately 30 million persons in the United States have diabetes.* Persons with diabetes are at risk for vision loss from diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases (1). Diabetic retinopathy, the most common diabetes-related eye disease, affects 29% of U.S. adults aged ≥40 years with diabetes (2) and is the leading cause of incident blindness among working-age adults (1). It is caused by chronically high blood glucose damaging blood vessels in the retina.† Annual dilated eye exams are recommended for persons with diabetes because early detection and timely treatment of diabetic eye diseases can prevent irreversible vision loss§,¶ (3,4). Studies have documented prevalence of annual eye exams among U.S. adults with diabetes (5,6); however, a lack of recent state-level data limits identification of geographic disparities in adherence to this recommendation. Medicare claims from the 50 states, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) were examined to assess the prevalence of eye exams in 2017 among beneficiaries with diabetes who were continuously enrolled in Part B fee-for-service insurance, which covers annual eye exams for beneficiaries with diabetes.** This report also examines disparities, by state and race/ethnicity, in receipt of eye exams. Nationally, 54.1% of beneficiaries with diabetes had an eye exam in 2017. Prevalence ranged from 43.9% in Puerto Rico to 64.8% in Rhode Island. Fewer than 50% of beneficiaries received an eye exam in seven states (Alabama, Alaska, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, West Virginia, and Wyoming) and Puerto Rico. Non-Hispanic white (white) beneficiaries had a higher prevalence of receiving an eye exam (55.6%) than did non-Hispanic blacks (blacks) (48.9%) and Hispanics (48.2%). Barriers to receiving eye care (e.g., suboptimal clinical care coordination and referral, low health literacy, and lack of perceived need for care) might limit Medicare beneficiaries' ability to follow this preventive care recommendation. Understanding and addressing these barriers might prevent irreversible vision loss among persons with diabetes.

Point-of-care ultrasound defines gastric content in elective surgical patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundDelayed gastric emptying and the resultant “full stomach” is the most important risk factor for perioperative pulmonary aspiration. Using point-of-care gastric sonography, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of full stomach and its risk factors in elective surgical patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsType 2 diabetic and non-diabetic elective surgical patients were included from July 2017 to April 2018 in a 1:1 ratio. The study was retrospectively registered at July 2017, after enrollment of the first participant. Gastric ultrasound was performed 2 h after ingesting clear fluid or 6 h after a light meal. Full stomach was defined by the presence of gastric content in both semi-recumbent and right lateral decubitus positions. For patients with full or intermediate stomach, consecutive ultrasound scan was performed until empty stomach was detected. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors associated with full stomach.ResultsFifty-two type 2 diabetic and fifty non-diabetic patients were analyzed. The prevalence of full stomach was 48.1% (25/52) in diabetic patients, with 44.0% for 2-h fast after clear fluid and 51.9% for 6-h fast after a light meal, significantly higher than 8% (4/50) in non-diabetic patients (P = 0.000). The average time to empty stomach in diabetic patients was 146.50 ± 40.91 mins for clear liquid and 426.50 ± 45.25 mins for light meal, respectively. Further analysis indicated that presence of diabetes-related eye disease was an independent risk factor of full stomach in diabetic patients (OR = 4.83, P = 0.010).ConclusionsAlmost half of type 2 diabetic patients have a full stomach following the current preoperative fasting guideline. Preoperative ultrasound assessment of gastric content in type 2 diabetic patients is suggested, especially for those with diabetes -related eye disease.Trial registrationThe trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov with registration number NCT03217630. Retrospectively registered on 14th July 2017.

Diabetes-related kidney, eye, and foot disease in Taiwan: An analysis of nationwide data from 2005 to 2014

Patients with diabetes have a higher risk of developing chronic complications and cause a huge burden to the public health care system as well as on patients and their families. We studied these diabetic complications about kidney, eye and peripheral vascular diseases to understand their prevalence and distributions in a national survey. We analyzed diabetic complications using National-Health-Insurance claims filed from 2005 to 2014. We used this database to evaluate their developments of kidney, eye, and peripheral vascular diseases according to the International-Classification-of-Diseases, Ninth Revision using clinical modification diagnosis codes. The prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) significantly increased from 10.49% to 17.92% from 2005 to 2014. The prevalence rate of diabetic foot significantly decreased from 1.34% to 1.05% from 2005 to 2014, and the rate of severe infection also significantly decreased from 50.69% to 45.85%. The amputation rate significantly decreased from 24.91% to 17.47% among all patients with diabetic foot. In this study, the trends in DKD and dialysis prevalence were similar to those of the 2012 report. The rate of increase in dialysis prevalence is lower in this study than in the 2012 report. The prevalence of diabetic foot, severe infection, and amputation in this report exhibited significantly decreasing trends. This improvement may be attributable to care from multidisciplinary teams. We should dedicate more resources to our prevention program of DKD and retinopathy to further improve outcomes in the future.

Vascular protection of DPP-4 inhibitors in retinal endothelial cells in in vitro culture

People with diabetes are at high risk of developing diabetes-related eye disease, termed as diabetic retinopathy, due damage being caused to the blood vessels in the retina. An efficient medical treatment to reduce diabetic retinopathy can improve the quality of life for diabetes patients. In our study, we show that linagliptin, a commercially available DPP-4 inhibitor, plays a protective role in retinal vascular endothelial cells. The presence of linagliptin protects retinal endothelial cells against TNF-α-induced cytotoxicity and enhances their viability. Linagliptin treatment suppresses TNF-α-induced production of reactive oxygen species and improves mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, linagliptin suppresses TNF-α-induced production of pro-inflammatory and pro-adhesive vascular cytokines including IL-6, IL-8, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1. The presence of linagliptin in cell media can reduce the number of THP-1 cells that adhere to retina endothelial cells. Mechanistically, linagliptin potently suppresses TNF-α-induced accumulation of NF-κB nuclear protein p65 and activation of NF-κB promoter. Our data indicate that linagliptin is an anti-inflammatory diabetic agent, with the potential to be applied as a treatment for diabetic retinopathy.

Knowledge, Awareness, and Eye Care-Seeking Behavior in Diabetic Retinopathy: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

IntroductionDiabetes mellitus (DM) is common metabolic disorder that is characterized by increased circulating blood glucose levels. Long-term, continuous hyperglycemia leads to vasculature-related disorders, including those affecting the eyes, such as retinopathy. The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of diabetic complications, specifically diabetic retinopathy, among diabetic patients attending the Jeddah Eye Hospital.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study targeting the outpatient clinics of Jeddah Eye Hospital for a period of 2 months. A total of 380 participants were randomly selected based on sample size calculations. A closed-ended questionnaire, generated after an extensive literature review, was distributed among the selected individuals. The questions focused on the participants’ clinical status of DM, socio-demographic characteristics, awareness of eye complications secondary to DM, eye screening, and eye care-seeking behavior.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 58.3 (standard deviation 10.9) years, and 52.4% of patients were female. The majority (89.7%) of participants had type II DM (T2DM). The level of awareness was satisfactory (92.4%); however, only 10.5% of participants knew the recommended frequency for eye check-ups. The level of awareness of related complications was directly influenced by education level, source of patient information, place of residence, and frequency of follow-up visits.ConclusionThe results of this study indicate that although the awareness of diabetes-related eye complications was satisfactory in the patient population, eye care-seeking behavior and frequency of eye check-ups were not optimal. Efforts are needed to promote eye care-seeking behavior in this patient group.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s40123-018-0147-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.