Blindness from diabetes halves in Wales, new research reveals

Credit: PA

The number of people in Wales diagnosed as blind or living with sight loss because of diabetes has almost halved since the introduction of a new national screening programme in 2003, according to new research.

The research, conducted by the diabetic research unit at Swansea University and published in the British Medical Journal shows:

  • There were 339 fewer new certifications for all levels of sight loss from any cause combined in 2014-15, compared with 2007-08;

  • There were 22 fewer people with known diabetes with sight loss due specifically to their diabetes. There was a 49% fall in new certifications for severe sight impairment, from 31.3 to 15.8 per 100,000 people;

  • During this observation period, 52,229 (40%) more people were diagnosed with diabetes in Wales.