Diabetic retinopathy is an ocular condition in which there is progressive damage to the retina and subsequent gradual decline in visual acuity.
It is one of the most feared complications of diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, the onset of which becomes more likely as the years of disease increase, especially if satisfactory glycometabolic control is not maintained.
Even today, in spite of better knowledge and increased opportunities to control diabetes through earlier and more personalized diagnosis and treatment, diabetic retinopathy in the Western world continues to be the leading cause of preventable blindness in adults.