Diabetic Retinal Disease: A Growing Epidemic
According to 2018 estimates from the CDC



In 2018, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.2
Diabetic Retinopathy Is Considered a Common, Serious, and Undertreated
Complication of Diabetes3-6


CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
DR Disease Severity Can Progress Quickly and at Any Time
Natural course rate of progression to PDR in 1 year7


NPDR, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy; PDR, proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetic Macular Edema Is a Complication of DR5
Approximately half of all patients diagnosed with DR are expected to develop DME5
- More than 30% of untreated patients with DME can progress to moderate vision loss within 3 years8
- Risk of DME increases with the severity of DR9
DME Can Develop at Any Stage of DR Severity
Cumulative incidence of DME by baseline NPDR severity in anti-VEGF–naïve eyes over 4 years9


anti-VEGF, anti–vascular endothelial growth factor; NPDR, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Risk of Developing Vision-Threatening Complications


Proportion of patients with moderately severe to severe NPDR who
progressed to PDR, ASNV, or CI-DME at Years 1 and 2 from baseline10




anti-VEGF, anti–vascular endothelial growth factor; NPDR, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Awareness Is Limited Among Patients With Diabetic Retinal Disease


Cross-sectional analysis of 2005-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data; N=798 participants with self-reported diabetes stratified by DR and DME status.12
DR Severity Scale (DRSS)
- Useful for staging the disease and allowing for proper diagnosis and timely intervention with a goal to help prevent or reverse disease
progression13-16 - Evaluation of disease by fundus examination: Fundus photography is typically more sensitive in detecting DR lesions than other imaging methods used in practice17
DR severity scores are based on extent and severity of the disease signs.
DRSS
AAO, American Academy of Ophthalmology; ETDRS-DRSS, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study–Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale; NPDR, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy; PDR, proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Example of a 2-Step Improvement on the DRSS*


AAO, American Academy of Ophthalmology; ETDRS-DRSS, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study–Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale; NPDR, nonproliferative
diabetic retinopathy; PDR, proliferative diabetic
retinopathy.

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