Read on Medical News Today.

With diabetes rates continuing to rise in America, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is calling for screenings for diabetic retinopathy during November’s Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness month. The disease affects 5.3 million Americans. People with diabetes are 25 times more likely to become blind than those who do not have the illness. Loss of vision can often be prevented or reduced if the disease is detected and treated early.