18/11/2025
This is another post where we challenge kōrerō around diabetes such as this myth that ‘you will go blind’ if you get diabetes. Unfortunately so many people hear statements like this, and often it’s when they are first diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes.
While these comments often come from a place of wanting to motivate people to ‘look after themselves’ it’s often unhelpful and causes a lot of fear.
Yes diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working age adults and we should do everything we can to prevent complications. But blindness or diabetic retinopathy is not inevitable and preventing diabetes complications like eye damage is a team effort between you/your whānau AND your healthcare team.
In this post we have provided some information about screening and how we can prevent and manage eye damage from diabetes (diabetic retinopathy).
Key messages:
- Eye damage (diabetic retinopathy) is not inevitable.
- Eye screening is free, quick and doesn’t hurt.
- Early damage often doesn’t have any symptoms which is why screening is so important.
- Aiming for an HbA1c less than 53 mmol/mol is helpful in preventing and slowing eye damage.
- There is a legacy effect from having tight glucose control in prevent eye damage (even if glucose levels rise later).
- Blood pressure control is just as important as glucose control in people with diabetic retinopathy.
(The goal blood pressure is less than 130/80 mmHg)
- It is important to keep LDL cholesterol low (below 1.4 mmol/L) in people with diabetic retinopathy. (Some cholesterol medications also have extra benefits for eye conditions caused by diabetes).
If you or a loved one has low vision or blindness caused by diabetes (or anything else) check out the Blind Low Vision NZ website for information and resources.
