Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jul 23, 2025 7 hours, 43 minutes ago
Thailand Medical News: A new study has raised alarming concerns about how COVID-19 may be silently worsening eye health in people with Type 2 diabetes. Researchers from the Department of Radiology at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, along with a contributor from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School, discovered that patients with diabetes who had contracted COVID-19 were significantly more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy, a serious eye condition that can lead to vision loss.
New Research Links COVID-19 to Higher Rates of Diabetic Retinopathy
This
Thailand Medical News report highlights a retrospective study involving over 10,000 patients—split evenly between those who had COVID-19 and those who did not—all with pre-existing Type 2 diabetes but no prior signs of diabetic retinopathy. These individuals were tracked for up to three years through the Montefiore Health System, a major healthcare network serving a predominantly underserved and diverse population in the Bronx.
Higher Risk of Eye Damage Linked to COVID-19 and Insulin Use
The study found that people with diabetes who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 had a 1.7 times greater risk of developing new-onset diabetic retinopathy than those who did not contract the virus. More strikingly, those who were already using insulin before contracting COVID-19 faced a more than threefold increase in risk. This suggests a dangerous interaction between the severity of diabetes and the impact of COVID on blood vessels in the eye.
Out of 5,151 diabetic patients who had contracted COVID-19, 81 (or 1.6%) went on to develop diabetic retinopathy, compared to only 45 (0.9%) among the matched non-COVID group. Patients with COVID-related eye complications were also younger and more likely to be male. Surprisingly, traditional risk factors like race, ethnicity, and other major health issues did not significantly alter the risk in this study.
How COVID-19 Might Be Causing Eye Disease
Researchers suggest that the increased risk may stem from the virus’s ability to damage the pancreas, leading to worse blood sugar control, or by triggering severe inflammatory responses in the body. COVID-related inflammation, including elevated levels of cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-alpha, could attack the small blood vessels in the eyes, accelerating the development of retinopathy. These cytokines are known to damage the retina and are also prominent in COVID-19 immune responses.
Other factors likely contributed as well, including missed medical appointments, increased stress, less physical activity, and poor diet during the pandemic—all of which can worsen diabetes and raise the risk of complications.
A Warning for Patients and Doctors Alike
The findings underscore the importance of closely monitoring diabetic patients who have recovered from COVID-19, especially those using insulin. Early and regular eye screenings could
help catch signs of retinopathy before vision loss occurs.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Diagnostics
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/15/1846
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/scientists-warn-that-covid-19-infections-found-to-subtly-alter-the-structure-of-the-retina
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/doctors-in-china-warn-that-covid-19-can-cause-macular-damage
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-news-sars-cov-2-also-causes-acute-macular-neuroretinopathy-but-many-are-unaware-their-eyes-are-affected
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