Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness for adults between the ages of 20 and 64 in the United States. As a patient’s diabetes progresses, the blood circulation worsens and the supply of oxygen to the retina is compromised. The retina is especially oxygen-starved at night since the rods, which are used primarily when the eyes dark-adjust, demand more oxygen than the light-activated cones. In response to this ischemia, the body signals for additional blood vessels to be formed in this region, but these new blood vessels are very weak and susceptible to microaneurysms and leaking. This leaking leads to retinal edema and eventually macular edema, which destroys a patient’s eyesight.
