Chris Hudson, PhD, MCOptom, FAAO, Professor, School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON; Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON; Director of Retinal Research, University Health Network, Toronto, ON; scientist, Toronto Western Research Institute, Toronto, ON.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in people of working age, in spite of the fact that current treatments are effective. Vision loss occurs in DR due to the development of maculopathy, especially diabetic macular edema, and due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Vision loss due to DR is preventable with the appropriate monitoring and timely treatment. Improved patient and health professional, education to encourage tight control of blood glucose and other systemic factors, and the establishment of readily available and appropriately timed eye examinations are necessary steps to further reduce visual impairment of people with diabetes.
Key words: diabetic retinopathy, vision loss, macular edema, neovascularization, laser photocoagulation.