Preface

Much work has been done in an attempt to understand the mechanisms of disease in the eyes and feet of those who live with diabetes. On July 27, 1921, Banting and Best recovered insulin from a dog pancreas. Previously those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes gradually withered away and died within a year. It was thought that finally a cure was found for what we now refer to as type 1 diabetes. Now we struggle with what was unforeseen at the time, the long-term effects of hyperglycemia in those who have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy remains the leading cause of blindness in working age adults around the world. In addition, the foot issues and potential amputation of those who struggle with diabetes are well known and remain a struggle for both patients and providers.

This book covers a range of issues on both the eyes and feet of those with diabetes. The eye section of the book details the molecular and biological origins of diabetic eye disease as well as a chapter on vitrectomy for diabetic retinopathy. The section on the foot also outlines mechanisms of disease, evaluation methods of the diabetic foot, and its association with kidney and neurologic disease.

We are grateful to those contributors who have worked to make this book a reality. It has been an honor to present the work of such a distinguished group of scientists, clinicians, and surgeons. The staff at IntechOpen has also patiently contributed to actualizing this project. It is our hope that these efforts will enable a further understanding of the mechanisms by which diabetes affects not only the eyes and feet, but how that relates to other parts of the body.

> **Jeff Grigsby** Vision Health Specialties, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, University of Houston, College of Optometry, Texas, USA

> > **Fethi Derbel** Clinique les Oliviers, Tunisia

**1**

Section 1

The Eye in Diabetes
