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Spotlight on diabetic retinopathy


Overview

Diabetic retinopathy

A comprehensive 'primer' article that provides an up-to-date overview of diabetic retinopathy.

Summary points

  • Diabetic retinopathy (DR) affects one-third of patients with diabetes and is a major cause of vision loss in middle-aged and elderly people.
  • The development of DR is strongly associated with diabetes duration, and systemic control of glycemia and blood pressure.
  • DR is classified as mild, moderate, and severe non-proliferative DR and proliferative DR, with proliferative DR further classified based on the location of the new vessels.
  • The impact of DR and associated visual impairment on health-related quality of life is substantial and patients with DR often have reduced physical, emotional and social well-being.
  • Optimal control of blood glucose and blood pressure in individuals with diabetes remains the cornerstone for preventing the development and arresting the progression of DR.
  • DR screening coupled with timely, pre-symptomatic intervention is a rational and cost-effective strategy that can reduce blindness by 30-50%.
  • Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatments have been a major breakthrough in the management of vision-threatening stages of DE and are now first-line therapies for diabetic macular edema (DME).

Wong TY et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2016; 2: 16012. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.12

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