Information about diabetes mellitus can also be found on the WHO website

Approximately 200 million people worldwide currently suffer from diabetes mellitus (commonly known as diabetes) and this trend is rapidly increasing. Hundreds of thousands have already lost their eyesight as a consequence of the widespread disease.

Using Olympus analySIS image analysis software, doctors are now able to precisely document changes in the retina of the eye. These important details mean they can tailor treatments to the individual.

A search for information about diabetes mellitus turns up shocking statistics that make the global magnitude of the disease dramatically clear. The World Health Organisation WHO) refers to estimates according to which more than 350 million people will have diabetes by the year 2030. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has calculated that by 2020, the disease will cost North America alone almost 200 billion US dollars.

Diabetes mellitus is a treacherous disease often first diagnosed by accident. Among other symptoms, the surreptitious course of the illness reveals itself in changes to the blood supply and health of the retina. In extreme cases this can cause photoreceptors to completely malfunction, leaving the patient blind.

Diabetic retinopathy causes the blood vessels of the retina to change, making it vital for diabetics to regularly have their eyes tested. After all, diabetic retinopathy is the most frequent cause of blindness in the developed world.  Approximately every 50th diabetes sufferer loses their sight after 15 years, while one in ten develops severe vision problems.

The appearance of exudates – a build up of blood serum elements in the retina – are characteristic of the disease. Whether and how exudates have changed can be tested during a check-up. This allows doctors to react quickly to any developments.

Screening for diabetic retinopathy is done with a special camera. Following this, Olympus analySIS image processing software analyses the results. The software enables automatic analysis of the images and resulting data for a precise evaluation of the course of the disease. Where optometrists previously made a subjective judgment as to whether or not the disease had worsened since the last check-up, they can now depend on objective results. Precise diagnosis is able to be achieved by comparing previous with
more recent images of the changing retina.

Patients profit from the precise analysis provided by Olympus image analysis software because the treatment they receive is much more accurate. But this isn’t the only advantage – the entire health system benefits because the use of analySIS software saves time and money.

Helpful Tips

A healthy body weight and sufficient exercise (30 minute workouts several times a week) can help prevent diabetes. Early diagnosis is possible with a relatively inexpensive blood test.