Risk factors for long-term diabetic retinopathy in type 1 diabetes: evaluation of evidence from the Vascular Diabetic Complications in Southeast Sweden study

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is by far the most common long-term complication in diabetes, and it is estimated that 95–97% of patients with type 1 diabetes will be affected in time (1,2). Given that blindness is expected to affect 3–8% of type 1 diabetes patients (3,4), it is vital to perform eye screening in order to treat sight-threatening complications prior to irreversible visual loss (5,6).