Why Annual Eye Exams Are Vital to Detect Diabetic Eye Diseases
Other risk factors include high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol
Another risk factor can be if the patient suffers from other conditions, like high blood pressure, heart disease, and high cholesterol. A patient's ethnicity and lifestyle habits may also play a role. African Americans and Hispanics actually have a higher chance to develop diabetic retinopathy than Asians and Caucasians. This risk only increases if the patient is a smoker or uses certain drugs.