Diabetes is a systemic disease that results in elevated sugars in the blood. Damage to your eyes is a result of damage to the small blood vessels in your eyes as a result of the high blood sugars; this is known as “diabetic retinopathy.” With good control of your blood sugars and good control of your cholesterol, you can minimize your chance of eye damage. In a recent New England Journal of Medicine article (July 15, 2010), intensive control of blood glucose and intesnive combination treatment of dislipidemia reduced the rate of diabetic retinopathy compared to standard therapy. The progession of diabetic retinopathy was 7.3% with intensive glycemic control vs 10.4% with standard therapy and 6.6% with intensive dyslipidemia treatment vs 10.2% with placebo. Your doctor will tailor your treatment to fit your needs.