Context

Diabetic retinopathy is the commonest microvascular complication of diabetes and is still a leading cause of blindness in both the developed and developing world. Previous trials have suggested that intensive glycaemic control and tight blood pressure policies protect against the development of retinopathy. These data have been replicated in a number of trials. The role of lipids in the genesis of retinopathy is much less clear. Lowering lipids certainly reduces cardiovascular events, but outcomes on microvascular disease have been less certain. The fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) study showed a beneficial effect of fenofibrate on the progression of diabetic retinopathy.