Evidence-Based Medicine of Screening of Diabetic Retinopathy among Type 2 Diabetes: A Clinical Overview

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a well-characterized chronic ocular disorder that developed in nearly all diabetic patients in the long run. The knowledge of DR is crucial to manage this disorder when planning screening and preventive programs and identifying the appropriated therapeutic strate-gies among. Expectant management may represent a valid therapeutic approach depending upon the clinical manifestations of the disease and, in particular, on the changes over time. If early treat-ment of DR reduces the probability of severe stage or slows the progression of blindness, it might sufficiently reduce treatment costs in later years to offset the costs of screening and early treat-ment. In addition, whether screening for DR is worthwhile is contingent on whether subjects are willing to pay the eye screening program that would decrease the risk of photocoagulation. In this review we discuss epidemiology, management, and economic evaluation of screening of DR among type 2 diabetes.