Brian Cox opens up on his diabetes as he urges sufferers to get eyes checked
Brian Cox has spoken out about his treatment for diabetes as he urges more Scots living with the condition to look after their sight.
The Dundee-born star is among more than 290,000 Scots living with diabetes and he undergoes regular retinopathy screening on his eyes.
Diabetic retinopathy is a potential complication of dia- betes and the leading cause of preventable sight loss in working age adults.
It happens when eye blood vessels start to either leak or become blocked.
Charities say thousands of people eligible for the screening in Scotland do not make use of it.
Launching a new campaign in national eye health week, Cox said: “Like many Scots, I am living with diabetes and I am aware of the various challenges it can bring. To help me stay healthy, I make sure I attend my diabetes checkup appointments, including retinopathy screening, and I encourage all people with diabetes to do the same.
“Sight loss is a potentially devastating complication of diabetes which can develop if people are not supported to manage their condition well.
“However, regular retinopathy screening means that changes to the eye can be detected early enough to allow treatment which can prevent further deterioration and irreversible damage.
“I’m proud to support the ‘How Do You See Scotland?’ campaign from Diabetes Scotland and RNIB Scotland during National Eye Health Week.
“Don’t lose sight of what’s important; get your eyes checked.”
The actor has voiced a film for the campaign which shows Scottish scenery grad- ually become obscured by dark blotches, mimicking the effects of diabetic retinopathy.
Jane-claire Judson, national director of Diabetes Scotland, said: “It is very concerning that over 42,000 people with diabetes in Scotland do not have a record of attending a retinopathy screening appointment in the last 15 months. Screening is vital to pick up early warning signs of damage to the eye so that people can get the treatment needed.”