Eye Condition Linked to Diabetes

An eye condition picked up in annual eye exams can aid early identification of a variety of other health conditions. Ninety-eight percent of study participants who had a grayish-white ring around the cornea — a condition called corneal arcus — also had metabolic problems related to conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, concludes a study conducted by the Columbus Research Foundation in Columbus, Ga. Until now, health professionals have assumed arcus is related to high cholesterol. Follow-up testing showed that 88% of the patients with arcus had high blood sugar, 66% had an elevated body mass index, 64% had high blood pressure and 21% had elevated cholesterol. The study was conducted on 2,000 patients. “This study demonstrates … how comprehensive eye exams should be used as a screening for prevalent metabolic conditions,” Dr. Steven Leichter, medical director at the research foundation, said in a press release. “Greater partnership between relevant health care providers may enhance the efficiency of our health care system and, in the end, reduce health care costs.”