UGM Expert Highlights Dangers of Diabetic Retinopathy Affecting 5.2 Million Indonesians

An eye disorder resulting from diabetes complications is frequently detected too late because the patient’s eyeball aesthetically still appears normal from the outside, according to an expert. Professor Muhammad Bayu Sasongko, a Professor of Eye Health Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), explained the dangers of diabetic retinopathy, a complication that is not visible externally, and estimated that as many as 5.2 million diabetes patients in Indonesia have already experienced it. Speaking at the Health Journalists Forum event ‘Preventing Blindness Due to Diabetic Retinopathy’ in Jakarta on Monday, he stated, ‘Diabetic retinopathy is located inside the back of the eyeball, so it is completely invisible from the outside and requires special examination instruments to visualise it.’ Prof. Bayu explained that the retina is a highly organised organ with a very active metabolism, making it vulnerable to blood vessel damage caused by chronically high blood sugar levels. This condition is considered to worsen more rapidly if the patient also has a history of other complications such as high blood pressure, high blood fat levels, and smoking habits, which accelerate the rate of organ damage. Based on an integrated data analysis from the Health Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) of approximately 12 million diabetes patients who regularly seek treatment at health facilities, it was identified that 5.2 million people, or nearly 40 per cent, suffer from diabetic retinopathy. This comparative data serves as a fact sheet indicating that Indonesia still faces serious challenges regarding the high proportion of diabetic retinopathy patients at risk of severe vision impairment to permanent blindness. ‘When a diabetes patient suffers from diabetic retinopathy, a lot of damage appears in the blood vessels. What happens in the end? Eventually, they leak, rupture, and then red spots appear on the retina, which is blood leaking from the damaged blood vessels,’ said Prof. Bayu. He emphasised that regular eye examinations for all diabetes patients at primary health facilities are not just important, but very important, to prevent further retinal damage before blindness occurs.