Abstract

Diabetes is a chronic disease that is reaching epidemic proportions worldwide. There are currently more than 190 million people with diabetes worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that this will rise to 221 million by the year 2010, largely due to population growth, ageing, urbanization and a sedentary lifestyle.

Diabetes is currently the fourth main cause of death in most developed countries. In Singapore, the prevalence of diabetes in our population is 8.2% according to the 2004 National Health Survey. This is expected to grow as our population age. Diabetic Retinopathy, if not well managed and controlled, can progress steadily to devastating complications like blindness. At present, various analyses on complicated interaction between hereditary and environmental factors are being undertaken regarding the onset of diabetes.

The development of diabetic complication has become a major concern regarding the prognosis of diabetic patients. Diabetes Retinopathy is one of the most common diseases that people get affected by over the years. By doing this paper, we hope to detect the stages of Diabetic Retinopathy as early as possible so as to prevent and cure more Singaporeans from falling prey to this disease.