Gene Linked To Severe Diabetic Eye And Kidney Diseases Identified

Tuesday, May 6, 2008 - 19:21 in Health & Medicine

Researchers have identified a gene called erythropoietin that contributes to increased risk of severe diabetic eye and kidney diseases, called retinopathy and nephropathy. The sight-threatening form of diabetic retinopathy, termed proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), is the most common cause of legal blindness in working-aged adults in the United States, accounting for 10% of new onset blindness overall. Diabetes is also the leading cause of kidney disease, called end-stage renal disease (ESRD), in the U.S. and the Western world.

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