Lab mice demonstrate eye cell damage after sustained hypoglycemia

A study conducted by State University of New York Upstate Medical University, demonstrated that chronic hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can lead to vision loss.

Chronic low blood sugar led to loss of retinal function and also retinal cell death

The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. It is part of the eye that can be affected by diabetes. The study, conducted on lab mice that were genetically predisposed to hypoglycemia, proved that chronic low blood sugar led to loss of retinal function and also retinal cell death.

The study, which was published in the Proceeding of National Academy of Sciences, is the first to demonstrate the stresses on an animal’s eye caused by chronic low blood sugar. When researchers restored blood sugar to normal levels in the test mice, vision loss was delayed by several months.

These conclusions seem to validate the belief that good blood sugar control can reduce retinal deterioration caused by diabetic retinopathy. This is especially important to diabetics who are susceptible to hypoglycemia due to ongoing insulin treatment.

Diabetic eye disease may include: Diabetic retinopathy – damage to the blood vessels in the retina; Cataract–clouding of the eye’s lens; Glaucoma–increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that leads to optic nerve damage and loss of vision. Cataract and glaucoma also affect many people who do not have diabetes.

ref: Retina Today