Once a year, the doctor takes a blood test to measure Kevin's cholesterol level and his kidney function. The doctor also asks Kevin to collect his urine in a container over a 24-hour period to check for protein or albumin in his kidneys. Albumin or protein in the urine is an early sign of diabetic kidney disease. Eye Disease Diabetes can affect the small blood vessels in the back of the eye, a condition called diabetic retinopathy. Retinopathy means disease of the retina, the tissue at the back of the eye that is sensitive to light.
Diabetes eventually causes changes in the tiny vessels that supply the retina with blood.
These small changes are called background retinopathy. Most people who have had diabetes for a number of years have background retinopathy, which usually does not affect sight. Over time, the blood vessels may rupture or leak fluid. In a minority of patients, most often those with higher blood sugar, retinopathy becomes more severe and new blood vessels may grow on the retina. These vessels may bleed into the clear gel, or vitreous, that fills the eye or detach the retina from its normal position because of bleeding or scar formation.