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Versant Health Highlights Connection Between Renal Disease and Blindness

BALTIMORE, MD, September 19, 2019 – Versant Health, a leading national managed eye health and vision plan company, warns patients about the rarely discussed—and potentially blinding—connection between kidney health and vision.

The average person rarely thinks of renal, or kidney, disease affecting vision, but there many underlying factors that can affect kidney health and vision. High blood pressure and diabetes can increase the risk for chronic kidney disease, and both conditions also increase the risk for retinopathies and impaired vision. Additionally, high blood pressure and diabetes are also two of the more than 30 conditions that can be detected in a routine eye exam.

“Renal disease can have a profound effect on vision,” says Mark Ruchman, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Versant Health. “When the kidneys are compromised, it can lead to a number of ocular changes, including lid edema, a graying of the conjunctiva, and degenerative changes, including calcification of the cornea and retinopathy. In rare, severe cases, retinal detachment can occur.”

Chronic kidney disease affects 14 percent of Americans, and more than 661,000 have kidney failure. And like high blood pressure, kidney disease often has no overt symptoms in the early stages, often going undetected until it is significantly advanced.

As such, people suspected of poor kidney health, particularly end-stage renal disease, should have a thorough eye exam as soon as possible to protect their vision—and possibly their life.

Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4377818/

About Versant Health

Versant Health, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MetLife, Inc., is one of the nation’s leading administrators of managed vision care, serving more than 41 million of our clients’ members nationwide. Through our Davis Vision and Superior Vision independent provider networks, we help members access the wonders of sight through healthy eyes and vision. Administering vision and eye health solutions that range from access to routine vision benefits to medical management, Versant Health has unique visibility and scale across the total eye health spectrum. As a result, our clients’ members enjoy a seamless experience with access to one of the broadest provider networks in the industry and an exclusive frame collection. Commercial groups, employer plans, and health plans that serve government-sponsored programs such as Medicaid and Medicare are among our valued customers.

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