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Diabetes affects nearly 26 million people in the United States. In addition, another 79 million people are estimated to have pre- diabetes, a condition that puts people at increased risk for diabetes, and many Hispanics/Latinos are included in these statistics.

All people with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, are at risk for diabetic eye disease, a leading cause of vision loss and blindness.

Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of the disease and includes cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.

Diabetic retinopathy, the most common diabetic eye disease, is the leading cause of blindness in adults 20--74 years of age.

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), 1.2 million Hispanics/Latinos have diabetic retinopathy and this number is projected to increase to approximately 3 million people by 2030.

For more information on diabetic eye disease, visit www.nei.nih.gov/diabetes or call NEI at (301) 496-5248.