Diabetic Retinopathy, its Progression and Incident Cardiovascular Events in the ACCORD Trial

OBJECTIVE Both the presence of diabetic retinopathy and its severity are significantly associated with future cardiovascular (CV) events. Whether its progression is also linked to incident CV outcomes hasn’t been assessed.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The relationship between retinopathy, its 4-year progression, and CV outcomes (CV death or nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke) was analyzed in participants in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial who also participated in the ACCORD Eye Study. Retinopathy was classified as either none, mild, moderate, or severe, and worsening was classified as a <2-step, 2–3-step, or >3-step change (that included incident laser therapy or vitrectomy). Read More