Salt Lake City, Utah — Diabetes is a major health crisis in the U.S. that not only bears a heavy economic burden but increases the risk of severe health complications, including blindness. From May 4 - 8 in Salt Lake City, Utah, scientists will unveil new findings on various diabetes-related eye complications at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).
High blood sugar levels can damage the lenses and blood vessels in the eye, leading to a group of eye conditions known as diabetic eye disease. While these conditions share a common cause, they affect the eyes in different ways. Several studies at the Annual Meeting will focus on diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME), including one presentation that will explain how increased signs of inflammation and a certain growth factor in the blood are connected to disease development and severity. This evidence may help identify individuals who are at higher risk and lead to targeted treatments that address the specific factors behind the damage.
Other new research being featured at the Meeting will introduce potential treatment options, such as a less invasive approach for treating macular edema — a common diabetes-related condition that can cause blurred or distorted vision. Researchers discovered that injecting a gel that slowly releases medicine around the eye is more effective than the common treatment, which requires frequent injections into the eyeball.
Meeting presenters will focus also on the key topic of prevention. One study will show injecting a specific class of drugs known as rexinoids into the eye, has the capability of improving retinal health and possibly preventing the development of DR. This could lead to simple and long-lasting preventive treatments.
Importantly, while the overall number of people with diabetic eye disease has increased, new research shows the rate of severe vision-threatening complications like DME has greatly decreased. This suggests that advancements in diabetes management and eye care are helping prevent serious vision loss, reinforcing the need for continued research.
The ARVO 2025 Annual Meeting provides a global platform that showcases how investing in eye and vision science can lead to more effective treatments, preventative measures, and eventually a future where vision loss is less prevalent. Ongoing research is essential to turn today’s discoveries into tomorrow’s solutions.
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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is an international eye and vision research organization with more than 10,000 members from over 60 countries. Our Annual Meeting is the premiere global gathering for eye and vision scientists, students, and those in affiliated fields to share the latest research findings and collaborate on innovative solutions. For 2025, the Meeting will be hosted May 4 - 8 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Meeting theme, i3: imagining innovation and intelligence in vision science, addresses how vision research is continually being transformed by new information and technologies that are catalyzing our research as we aim to treat, cure and ultimately prevent blinding eye diseases. Learn more at ARVO.org/AM.
Media contact:
Jenniffer Scherhaufer, MMC, CAE
1.240.221.2923
[email protected]
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