Managing diabetic retinopathy

#### Summary points Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness in working age people in England, Wales, and Scotland. Despite the availability of effective treatment, the prevalence of blindness as a result of diabetic retinopathy is increasing. Between February 1999 and March 2000, the number of patients on the blind register as a result of diabetic retinopathy in this age group was 2.05 per 100 000 population compared with 1.26 per 100 000 population in 1990-1.1 The global prevalence of diabetes in adults will rise from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million in 2030.2 Increased visual impairment as a result of diabetic retinopathy will impose a human and economic cost on entire communities, particularly in middle income countries. Diabetic retinopathy is a chronic yet treatable condition. Primary prevention by improved medical management of diabetes, early detection, and timely treatment all reduce the risk of visual loss. In addition, the emergence of new treatments will change the management of retinopathy. #### Sources and selection criteria We searched Medline and Embase with the keywords “diabetic macular oedema”, “diabetic maculopathy”, “diabetic retinopathy”, and “controlled clinical trials”. We used evidence from published abstracts from major international scientific meetings and from the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. We gave priority to evidence from well conducted systematic reviews and large well …