Blindness and visual impairment in diabetic patients in Croatia.

New estimates show reduction in the number of people who are blind or suffer from vision impairment as a sequel of infectious diseases, while there is an increase in the number of people who are blind due to conditions related to longer life span and diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in active population in developed countries. Epidemiological studies evaluated the incidence and describe many facets of this disease the incidence of which is being followed in most countries. The aim of this paper is to present some epidemiological data on diabetic retinopathy caused by type 1 diabetes in Croatia, to compare them with other countries, and to evaluate its importance in causing severe visual impairments and blindness. These data are considered highly relevant because they are changing constantly and require continuous monitoring in spite of all advances in understanding the distribution, causes and severity of diabetic retinopathy. It is of great importance because the increasing burden of diabetes will pose ever greater burden on the population at large and on healthcare systems providing care for these patents.