“Diabetic retinopathy is a serious eye complication affecting the diabetic population, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is a leading cause of blindness in the Western world. The disabling complication is subtle because it does not show signs in the first years of development and therefore must be prevented. Over the years we have witnessed a decrease in the incidence of diabetic retinopathy because it has been understood that glycemic control over the years and over time is predominantly capable of acting on the development of this serious complication, a complication that can lead to retinal detachment, maculopathy etc. So by controlling blood sugar from the start we prevent diabetic retinopathy. In Italy it is difficult to say precisely how many people are affected by the diabetic network because we do not have population studies. From studies of the AMD annals we show that approximately 30-40% of the diabetic population has signs of retinal impairment and therefore of diabetic retinopathy. ‘The importance, and we will talk about it in the course of the AMD foundation conference with the session on purpose, the importance is the prevention and therefore certainly control the glycemia and therefore the glycated hemoglobin and optimal metabolic control, but then undergo screening of the fund of the eye and screening for diabetic retinopathy with simple examination which should be done at least every 1 or 2 years. If the diabetic population underwent effective screening as prescribed by all guidelines, the incidence of diabetic retinopathy would approve because intervention can be made when the first lesions appear. All patients are at risk because the development of diabetic retinopathy is related to blood sugar control and the duration of the disease: therefore by subjecting to an early screening action every year or at least every two years we are able to intercept the slightest lesions and therefore intervene on risk factors, then of course this arises from a collaboration that must exist with the ophthalmologist because the final diagnosis and the type of intervention is then up to the ophthalmologist colleagues “.
