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If you have diabetes, it means the level of sugar in your blood is high. This can cause problems with your eyes, including getting cataracts.

Here are some things you should know about cataracts if you have diabetes.

• You are more likely to get cataracts related to aging, but at a younger age than people who don't have diabetes. Under the age of 60, people who have diabetes are three or four times more likely to have cataracts than people who don't have diabetes.¹
• These cataracts are likely to get worse more quickly than in people who don't have diabetes.
• You're also more likely to get a type of cataract caused by an upset in the balance of fluids in your eye. These are called diabetic cataracts. They look like white snowflakes under a microscope.²
• You may be more likely to get cataracts if you need to take a drug called insulin. This drug helps control the amount of sugar in your blood. But if you keep good control of your sugar level, you can lower your chance of getting cataracts.^{3 4}
• An operation to take out your cataracts may be harder if you have certain conditions that can happen with diabetes.⁵ One condition is leaky blood vessels in the back of your eye (doctors call this diabetic retinopathy). Another problem is swelling in the back of your eye (doctors call this macular edema).

You're more likely to have problems after surgery to take out your cataracts and to need extra treatment. You also might recover more slowly than someone who doesn't have diabetes.

You might not be able to see as well after surgery as someone who doesn't have diabetes. But new ways of doing cataract operations are increasing your chance of seeing well after surgery even if you have diabetes.⁵

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.