Doctors warn obesity can indirectly harm eyesight too
Latvian medical specialists explain that obesity raises the risk of diabetes, which can damage blood vessels in the eyes and impair vision. Everything in the body is interconnected, they stress.
Obesity is considered one of the main drivers of type 2 diabetes, a condition that significantly raises the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as eye disorders, according to specialists interviewed on Latvijas Radio's program "Kā labāk dzīvot."
Blood sugar damages eye vessels
Ophthalmologist Dace Lietuviete and cardiologist Alberts Bērziņš explained that chronically elevated blood sugar levels damage the small blood vessels of the retina. Over time, this can negatively affect vision and lead to more serious eye conditions.
Cholesterol and blood pressure also play a role
The specialists added that high cholesterol levels and elevated blood pressure can likewise affect eyesight. This illustrates how closely the body's systems are linked — a problem in one area, such as excess weight, can gradually influence seemingly unrelated functions like vision.
Doctors encourage people to pay attention to their overall health and to keep risk factors such as obesity, high blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure under control in order to reduce potential threats to both the heart and the eyes.
