[Blood pressure control and diabetic retinopathy]

Recently, the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial(DCCT) and United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study(UKPDS) have demonstrated the efficacy and cost effectiveness of glycaemic control in reducing the incidence and progression of retinopathy. And intervention on other risk factors such as hypertension have been studied in an effort to decrease the risk of visual loss due to diabetic retinopathy. Hypertension appears to be a significant risk factor in the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy and should be rigorously controlled. The risk reductions were similar regardless of whether the hypertension was controlled with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or beta-blocker.