Diabetic retinopathy for the non-ophthalmologist

• Published in: Clinical medicine (London, England) Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 112 - 116
• Main Authors: Fung, Timothy HM, Patel, Bakula, Wilmot, Emma G, Amoaku, Winfried MK
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2022; Royal College of Physicians
• Subjects: Artificial intelligence; Blood pressure; CME: Ophthalmology; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus; diabetic macular oedema; Diabetic retinopathy; Diabetic Retinopathy - diagnosis; Diabetic Retinopathy - epidemiology; Diabetic Retinopathy - therapy; Edema; Health Personnel; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Hypertension; intravitreal injections; Ischemia; laser photocoagulation; Lasers; Mass Screening; Metabolic disorders; Retina; vitrectomy; United Kingdom > UK; laser photocoagulation; intravitreal injections; vitrectomy; diabetic retinopathy; diabetic macular oedema
• ISSN: 1470-2118; 1473-4893
• DOI: 10.7861/clinmed.2021-0792

Diabetic retinopathy is a microangiopathy resulting from the chronic effects of diabetes mellitus. Healthcare professionals often work in isolation to deliver highly specialised care efficiently and effectively for people living with diabetes. It is not uncommon for people with diabetes to be making frequent visits to community and hospital clinics to see a variety of specialists and healthcare professionals, with seemingly little opportunity for coordination of this complex health management programme between the wider team. In a field that is so diverse and rapidly changing, healthcare professionals of all specialties need to be aware of developments across all aspects of diabetes management. In this article, we discuss the epidemiology and natural history of diabetic retinopathy and describe an approach to its assessment and diagnosis. We provide an overview of the principles of diabetic retinopathy management and outline possible future treatments for diabetic retinopathy.