Doctor Keeps Eyes Trained on Diabetes

Albert Forbes is an in-your-face kind of guy--figuratively and literally.

For more than 50 years, the Oxnard optometrist has tried to raise awareness about diabetes and how it can result in eye disease.

Most recently, he has volunteered to provide free vision care for children and seniors through health programs at St. John’s Regional Medical Center and the Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura.

Forbes has become such an expert on the topic that officials at the Centers for Disease Control have invited him to mediate a conference on diabetes in New Orleans beginning today.

“I did all of this because diabetes is a chronic disease that many feel should be addressed as an epidemic,” Forbes said.

“There is also a tremendous increase in those who don’t even know that they have the disease.”

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people between the ages of 20 and 74, Forbes said. More than 500,000 diabetics live in Ventura County, and many have never had their eyes examined, he said.

The disease is most prevalent among African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans.

“If there is no early intervention, you can almost predict there will be diabetic eye diseases eventually,” Forbes said. “I put 50 years into this thing, and I’m just beginning to see a little bit of light.”