Definition of Diabetic retinopathy:

Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the eye's retina that occurs with long-term diabetes.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Diabetic retinopathy is caused by damage to blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive inner layer of the eye.

There are two types: non-proliferative or proliferative.

• Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy is the early stage of the disease and is less severe. Blood vessels in the eye start to leak fluid into the retina, which leads to blurred vision.
• Proliferative retinopathy is the more advanced form of the disease, and more severe. New blood vessels start to grow in the eye. These new vessels are fragile and can bleed (hemorrhage), which may cause vision loss and scarring of the retina.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans. People with both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are at risk for this condition.

Having more severe diabetes for a longer period of time increases the chance of getting retinopathy. Retinopathy is also more likely to occur earlier and be more severe if your diabetes is poorly controlled. Almost everyone who has had diabetes for more than 30 years will show signs of diabetic retinopathy.