How Effective Are Treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy?

ANALYSIS of data from four decades of clinical research demonstrates that currently recommended treatments are considerably more effective in preventing blindness from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) than has been previously appreciated. In fact, careful follow-up, timely photocoagulation, and vitrectomy when necessary strikingly reduce the risk of blindness for patients with PDR. This remarkable finding lends even greater urgency to...