National Library for Health Diabetic Specialist Library Knowledge Update

Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy

In 1989, Rohan¹⁰⁷ published a qualitatative assessment of the effect that a screening programme for diabetic retinopathy might have on the prevention of blindness in England and Wales. He estimated that screening and early treatment of retinopathy would prevent deterioration of visual acuity and could reduce the risk of blindness due to diabetic retinopathy by an estimated 56% and prevent 260 new cases of blindness in diabetics under the age of 70 each year in England and Wales. In 1990, the St Vincent Declaration¹⁰⁸ recognised diabetes and diabetic retinopathy to be a major and growing European health problem, a problem at all ages and in all countries. The first of the five-year targets that were unanimously agreed by Government Health Departments and patient’s organisations from all European countries was to reduce new blindness due to diabetes by one third or more......

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107. Rohan TE, Frost CD, Wald NJ. Prevention of blindness by screening for diabetic retinopathy: a quantitative assessment. Bmj 1989; 299(6709): 1198-201. [abstract]

108. Diabetes care and research in Europe: the Saint Vincent declaration. Diabet Med 1990; 7(4): 360.