Diabetic retinopathy - Preventing diabetic retinopathy

To prevent diabetic retinopathy, it's very important to attend your appointments.

You'll also need to keep your blood sugar levels, blood pressure and blood fats (cholesterol) under control.

Blood sugar levels

In home testing, blood sugar levels are usually measured in millimoles of glucose per litre of blood, or mmol/l. A millimole is a measurement of the concentration of glucose in your blood.

Blood glucose levels vary from person to person, and the amount will change throughout the day. Therefore, there is no such thing as an "ideal" blood glucose level.

However, a normal blood glucose level is 4-6 mmol/l before meals (preprandial) and less than 10 mmol/l two hours after meals (postprandial). Your diabetes care team can discuss your blood glucose level with you in more detail.

Read more about testing your glucose levels.

High blood pressure

Having high blood pressure can make the blood vessels in your eyes more susceptible to damage and increases your risk of developing advanced diabetic retinopathy.

If your blood pressure is found to be high, it will need to be closely monitored until it is brought under control. Your GP will ask to see you for regular blood pressure checks.

You can prevent high blood pressure by:

• eating a healthy, balanced diet 
• exercising regularly – do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity
• giving up smoking if you smoke
• sticking to the recommended alcohol limits; this is no more than three to four units of alcohol a day for men, and two to three units for women (one unit of alcohol is equivalent to around half a pint of normal strength beer, a small glass of wine or a single measure of spirits)

Regular screening

If you have diabetes, it's very important that you attend your annual diabetic eye screening appointment. The earlier that retinopathy is detected, the greater the chance of effectively treating it and stopping it progressing.