High Sugar Diets

These days, a trip to the eye doctor may include information about the link between high-sugar diets and vision in addition to advice about traditional eye care.

While most of us know that high-sugar diets contribute to increasing waist bands and the development of Type 2 Diabetes, many Americans are unaware that foods that raise blood sugar levels are also associated with various eyes conditions, even blindness.

According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes have an increased risk of blindness, are 40 percent more likely to suffer from glaucoma, and are 60 percent more likely to develop cataracts.

And for those who the risk of developing diabetes is not enough of a reason to want to refrain from a high-sugar diets, research has shown that high-sugar food diets are contributing to macular degeneration of the eye.

Macular degeneration gradually destroys sharp, central vision and is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older. The condition leads to progressive loss of central and detailed vision over several months and those affected often become unable to read, watch TV, recognize faces, and estimate the size of objects from a distance. It is more common in women. Some 155,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with macular degeneration.

Treatment options depend on the form of macular degeneration. Dry macular degeneration cannot be treated whereas wet macular degeneration can sometimes be effectively treated by laser surgery. When successful, treatment may prevent further loss of vision. In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved Lucentis for the treatment of patients with wet macular degeneration. Lucentis, one of the FDA approved drugs to combat macular degeneration, is a biologic product that is administered by injection into the eye. In clinical trials, nearly 95 percent of the participants who received a monthly injection maintained their vision at twelve months compared to approximately 60 percent of patients who received the control treatment. Wet macular degeneration accounts for ten percent of all cases but is responsible for 80 percent of the associated vision loss.

The risk of developing macular degeneration is increased by excessive exposure to sunlight and smoking.