Myopia May reduce risk of Diabetic Eye Disease

MedpageToday reports that nearsightedness may be related to reduced risk of diabetic retinopathy. According to Lurence S. Lim, MD, who reported at a recent Ophthalmology meeting, the more myopic the eye, the lower the risk of any type of diabetic retinopathy. They suspect the larger shape of myopic eyes may be protective against diabetes. "As the eye gets longer, the retina gets stretched out and can atrophy. While this would cause vision problems under other circumstances, atrophy lowers the metabolic needs of the retina -- a plus under diabetic conditions with reduced blood flow supplying oxygen to the retina," says Dr. Lim.