title: Diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness in the UK, with older people and those with worse diabetic control, hypertension, and hyperlipidaemia being most at risk. Diabetic retinopathy can cause microaneurysms, haemorrhages, exudates, changes to blood vessels, and retinal thickening.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of treatments in people with diabetic retinopathy? What are the effects of treatments for vitreous haemorrhage? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library and other important databases up to November March 2007 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 29 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: peripheral retinal laser photocoagulation, focal and grid laser photocoagulation for maculopathy, corticosteroids for macular oedema, and vitrectomy for vitreous haemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Vitreo-retinal Unit, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mendrinos
authors.forename: Alexandros N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Stangos
authors.forename: Constantin J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Pournaras
mesh_terms: D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008269:Macular Edema; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body