Effect of Hemodialysis on Diabetic Retinopathy

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a serious health problem in both developed and developing countries. It is expected that by 2040 the incidence of diabetes mellitus in the world will increase to 642 million people. With the increase in the incidence of diabetes mellitus, the incidence of diabetic vascular complications increases, which worsen the quality of life of patients and triple the risk of death. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus, leading to progressive loss of visual function. Diabetic retinopathy occurs in conjunction with diabetic nephropathy. This fact is associated with the anatomical similarity of the blood-retinal barrier and the glomerular filtration barrier, as well as with the general pathogenetic mechanisms of the effect of hyperglycemia on peripheral microcirculation. On average, after 10–15 years, patients with decompensated diabetes mellitus develop end-stage renal failure, requiring renal replacement therapy, such as peritoneal dialysis, programmed hemodialysis, and kidney transplantation. This article highlights the latest data on the effect of programmed hemodialysis on the morphofunctional state of the retina in patients with diabetes mellitus.