What is Diabetic Retinopathy

• Healthcare, Eye Diseases
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Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a diabetes complication that affects the eyes, specifically the retina, leading to potential blindness if not diagnosed and treated early. It's caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). Poor control of blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are significant risk factors contributing to the development of DR.

Globally, diabetic retinopathy affects approximately one-third of the estimated 422 million people living with diabetes, making it one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. The prevalence of DR and its more severe form, vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR), varies geographically and with the management of diabetes and its risk factors.

The treatment for diabetic retinopathy focuses on slowing or stopping the progression of the condition. Early stages might not require immediate treatment but close monitoring, while advanced DR requires more aggressive interventions. Treatments include laser surgery, which helps to seal or shrink leaking blood vessels; anti-VEGF injection therapy, which slows growth of new blood vessels in the retina; and corticosteroids, which can be used to reduce inflammation and swelling. Research into alternative treatments, such as fenofibrate and gene therapy, is ongoing to find more effective solutions for those not responding to current therapies.