Diabetic retinopathy: looking beyond the eyes

Excerpt

To the Editor: The eye as a tool for identifying systemic diseases has fascinated scientists for centuries. In the era of precision medicine, screening for diabetic retinopathy has emerged as a renewed cost-effective method, not only to prevent sight-threatening disease, but also to identify patients more prone to develop other diabetic complications [1, 2]. In recent years, evidence has accumulated indicating that diabetic retinopathy is not only a herald of microvascular complications, but also of macrovascular complications, such as ischaemic coronary disease and stroke [2, 3]. In addition, the presence of diabetic retinopathy is an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia and, consequently, is a useful tool to identify candidates for the screening of cognitive status [4]. …