Obesity & Diabetic Eye Disease Risk

Elevated blood sugar levels and type 2 diabetes are common comorbidities of being overweight or obese. They can also lead to vision complications like glaucoma.

Updated for 2026

Eyes are the windows to the soul, and keeping your body healthy helps to keep those windows operating smoothly. If you are obese, you may be more concerned about your heart health than your vision, but the risks for diabetic eye diseases, including glaucoma, are increased by obesity.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a general term for a group of eye diseases that lead to irreversible damage of the optic nerve, which connects your eye to your brain, and can cause total blindness if left untreated. The damage is caused by intraocular pressure when the natural fluid in the eye (aqueous humor) cannot drain properly. Gradual vision loss is usually the only symptom, and since the condition can’t be cured, it’s important to be aware of your risk factors and see an ophthalmologist regularly. These risk factors can include:

• A family history of glaucoma (especially a first-degree relative such as a parent, sibling, or child)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Older age
• Severe nearsightedness
• Being of African or Hispanic descent¹

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common type of glaucoma in the US, and it affects an estimated 2.7 million people over the age of 40.² POAG is generally symptom-less in the early stages, but we do know that high eye pressure plays a major part in the development of the disease. Likewise, lowering eye pressure is the only proven treatment to slow its progress.³ Obesity is related to type 2 diabetes and increased eye pressure, so individuals with type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of developing POAG and should have a yearly dilated eye exam with their ophthalmologist to detect symptoms.

There are also two other forms of glaucoma that diabetic patients have a heightened risk of developing. Neovascular glaucoma is when new vessels grow abnormally, usually onto the iris and the eye’s drainage system, causing scar tissue to develop. Steroid-induced glaucoma is caused by steroid eye drops or injections,4 which can cause increased eye pressure and damage to blood vessels in the retina. Luckily, steroid-induced glaucoma is reversible without permanent damage if the steroids are stopped quickly enough.

Early Detection is Critical!

About 50% of individuals with glaucoma are totally unaware they even have it, so early detection is critical to the prevention of the disease.5 Just as keeping your blood pressure, blood sugar level, and cholesterol in check is necessary for your overall health and well-being, doing so is equally important for the health of your eyes. For overweight individuals, losing weight is likely to help with all of these conditions.

If you have diabetes, talk to your doctor about ways to control your blood sugar, and please, don’t put off your eye exams. Get your eyes checked regularly so that the complications of glaucoma in connection with diabetes can be caught and addressed quickly.

SAMPA is committed to helping patients improve their long-term health by addressing obesity and its related medical conditions. Our team of board-certified surgeons specializes in the prevention and treatment of obesity through comprehensive medical and surgical weight loss care, and is here to help you build healthier habits for the future.

References:

1. Ou, Y. (2021, August 27). Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma. National Glaucoma Research | BrightFocus Foundation Program. https://www.brightfocus.org/glaucoma/article/primary-open-angle-glaucoma.
2. Ou, Y. (2021a, August 24). Glaucoma and Diabetes. National Glaucoma Research | BrightFocus Foundation Program. https://www.brightfocus.org/resource/glaucoma-and-diabetes/.
3. Ou, Y. (2021, August 27). Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma. National Glaucoma Research | BrightFocus Foundation Program. https://www.brightfocus.org/glaucoma/article/primary-open-angle-glaucoma.
4. Ou, Y. (2021a, August 24). Glaucoma and Diabetes. National Glaucoma Research | BrightFocus Foundation Program. https://www.brightfocus.org/resource/glaucoma-and-diabetes/.
5. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Announcement: Glaucoma Awareness Month – January 2016. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 65(1). https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6501a4.htm?s_cid=mm6501a4_w.