A follow-up of blind diabetic patients

This report concerns the subsequent fate of 95 blind diabetics who were using a Seeing Eye guide dog in 1964. In 1973, 9 years later, 40 were known to be dead, 31 were known to be alive, and no data were available on 24. The average interval from onset of severe blindness to death in 37 of the 40 who had died is 9.4 years. The mean age at death was 43.2 years for the group. This compares favorably to our original study which showed an average survival from onset to blindness to death of 5.8 years, and an average age at death of 35.9 years. Because follow-up data are incomplete for the 1964-1973 interval, the true figures may be poorer than the ones reported now. In any case, it is apparent that the life expectancy of the blind diabetic is still poor after the onset of blindness from severe retinopathy.