Abstract
Diabetes mellitus, hereafter called diabetes, is a systemic disorder of insulin signaling, resulting in hyperglycemia. Hypertension and dyslipidemia are frequent associations. The pathological results of diabetes are microvascular complications, notably retinopathy, nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathy, and accelerated atherosclerosis, resulting in major cardiovascular complications. Overnutrition is causing an international diabetes epidemic of extraordinary proportions [1]. The purpose of this discussion is to summarize the disordered metabolic pathways in diabetes with an emphasis on ocular manifestations, placing particular emphasis on how these biochemical changes alter vitreous structure and function, contributing to retinopathy and vision loss.