The American Optometric Association states the following regarding diabetes:

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease marked by high levels of blood glucose that affects both children and adults. It is a significant, costly, and potentially preventable public health problem and the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Depending on the criteria used, an estimated 12 to 14 percent of adults in the United States have diabetes. In 2015, about 1.5 million new cases of diabetes (6.7 per 1,000 persons) were diagnosed in Americans aged 18 years or older. If the current trend continues, one in three adults in the United States may have diabetes by 2050. Because it can lead to blindness, diabetic retinopathy is the most significant vision-threatening complication of diabetes.

While advances in the management of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy have reduced the risk of vision loss and blindness, more than 1/3 of persons with diabetes do not receive an annual eye examination. Overall, 61.6 percent of American adults with diabetes received a dilated eye examination from 2014-2015. In addition, a significant number of individuals with diabetes are not adequately evaluated for signs and symptoms of diabetic eye disease by their primary care physician. These findings are of particular concern as many studies provide evidence-based care interventions that rely on early referral for eye care with prompt and appropriate intervention to lessen the risk for, and the severity of, vision loss related to diabetes. Timely diagnosis, intensive diabetes treatment, and consistent, long-term follow-up evaluations for persons with diabetes are essential for effective care, which can preserve vision and substantially lower the risk of vision loss.