Management of Diabetic Retinopathy and Other Ocular Complications in Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes can reduce vision by affecting various parts of the eye. Proactive, in‐ terdisciplinary coordination of treatment and timely referrals can aid in the minimiza‐ tion of visually threatening complications, significantly enhancing patient quality of life. The main causes of visual impairment in diabetes are proliferative diabetic retin‐ opathy and macular edema. Until recently, the mainstay of treatment for both condi‐ tions was retinal laser, which prevented significant vision loss but was much less effective at improving vision, especially in macular edema. Over the past decade, ex‐ citing new advances in treating diabetic eye disease, namely intraocular steroid and antivascular endothelial growth factor injections, have greatly improved the visual prognosis for the majority of patients with diabetic eye disease.