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World Diabetes Day Prompts Diopsys to Reach Out


PINE BROOK, N.J., Nov. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In recognition of World Diabetes Day, Diopsys is lending its voice to the global diabetes community to help raise diabetes awareness and advocacy. The company is reaching out to help educate patients and the healthcare community about the clinical and economic impact of diabetes as well as emphasize the importance of vision testing for people with the disease.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) released new research earlier this year estimating the total U.S. cost of diagnosed diabetes rose to $327 billion in 2017. There are currently more than 30 million Americans living with diabetes, and their medical expenditures are around 2.3 times greater than those without diabetes. According to the ADA, "The data indicate one of every four health care dollars is incurred by someone with diagnosed diabetes, and one of every seven health care dollars is spent directly treating diabetes and its complications."

In addition to the systemic complications, diabetes can also cause damage to the blood vessels and the neurons in the eye leading to diabetic retinopathy (DR). Structural abnormalities like microaneurysms and hemorrhages can occur, which can lead to retinal ischemia, vision loss and potentially blindness. According to the International Diabetes Foundation, approximately one in three people with diabetes has diabetic retinopathy and one in ten will develop a vision threatening form of the disease.

Fortunately, evolving treatment standards in DR have proven highly successful at slowing or stopping disease progression, but intervention is most successful when the disease is caught early. Recognizing the signs of DR on clinical examination or with imaging, however, is challenging, and many cases are identified only after permanent damage has occurred. Diopsys provides two different vision tests that can help eye care specialists detect and manage the disease earlier.

The Diopsys® Chromatic Flash Vision Screener helps address the unmet need for early recognition of retinal function changes related to DR with an easy-to-use in-office screening test. Using red-on-blue flash electroretinography (ERG), the new screening test records the electrical potential of the retina to provide quantitative measurements of retinal function. Results are then analyzed against healthy reference range data to help the doctor understand the probability of the patient developing retinopathy.

"In diabetic retinopathy, we know functional changes will likely happen before structural changes, and to now have the ability to measure retinal function with this new test from Diopsys is truly a game changer," said Nate Lighthizer, OD, FAAO. "It has been very useful as a screening test in our diabetic patients without retinopathy to help guide our management options and follow-up based on the results. The OCT, a structural test, has been utilized as a screener for some time, and the Diopsys test gives us the ability to also use function as a risk indicator."

In addition to the screener, Diopsys also provides vision tests that help eye care specialists track disease progression and response to treatment. The Diopsys® ffERG / Flicker testing protocols record the retina's response to flashes of light ? reflecting the electrical activity of cone and bipolar cells ? and provide objective, functional information about global retinal health. Flicker ERG vision tests use intuitive color-coded reports to help physicians evaluate retinal disease severity, predict retinal ischemia, quantify retinal function loss and recovery, and monitor retinal function for appropriate and timely treatment.

John Wroblewski, MD, a specialist in medical retina, uveitis, surgical retina, and inherited retinal diseases, has said the Diopsys® ffERG / Flicker testing protocols "allow clinicians to establish a functional baseline in diabetic retinopathy, and then follow disease in a way that we can't otherwise."

Follow Diopsys on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get more facts and figures related to diabetes for World Diabetes Day using the hashtag #WDD2018.

About Diopsys Inc.
As the world leader in modern visual electrophysiology, Diopsys, Inc. (http://diopsys.com/) has done more than any other company to advance the use of electroretinography (ERG) and visual evoked potential (VEP) in the eye care practice. The company's unique, patented technology provides eye care professionals with objective, functional information about the health of the vision system to aid in the early detection of vision disorders, and post-treatment tracking for enhanced patient management.

 

SOURCE Diopsys


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