A New Method Permits Early Diagnosis of Retinopathy

Good news for diabetic retinopathy. Several British researchers have perfected a test that makes it possible to discover if the eyes of diabetic patients are diseased, even before the changes leading to blindness occur.The test screens for the vision of colors, as this perception begins to decline even in the earliest stages of retinopathy, despite virtually perfect vision.

'This test is truly simply to perform and without any discomfort for the diabetic,' notes Dr. Anthony Cassell in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. The patient simply sits in a chair in front of a screen with colored stripes crossing it, pressing a button as soon as he or she perceives a color variation. The responses are then analyzed by a computer so we can find out if the retina is still able to distinguish colors well.

The researchers used this test on a very large group of diabetic patients whose vision was still normal. The effectiveness of the test is proven by the fact that in all those with altered or reduced perception of color, retina damage was demonstrated.