Diabetic Retinopathy: Battling the Global Epidemic

Blindness is increasing rapidly worldwide due to diabetes mellitus, a devastating disease that has assumed the proportions of a global epidemic. Over 415 million people in the world have diabetes, and it is estimated that this number will reach around 642 million by 2040.1 Early detection and prompt treatment are still the gold standards of managing diabetic retinopathy (DR), and landmark clinical trials have shown that such treatment can effectively decrease visual disability by 90%. Despite tremendous progress in the developments of treatment for this disease, many questions remain unanswered.