Moshfeghi A, Garmo V, Sheinson D, et al. - In this retrospective analysis of claims data from US clinical practice, researchers sought to describe the natural course of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in contemporary clinical practice. Between January 1, 2006, and April 30, 2017, patients aged ≥ 18 years with continuous medical and prescription insurance coverage for 18 months before DR diagnosis (index date) and for a follow-up period of 5 years were involved (N = 14,490). For patients with moderate nonproliferative DR (NPDR), the estimated probability of progressing to severe NPDR or proliferative DR (PDR) within 5 years of diagnosis was 17.6% vs 5.8% for mild NPDR. Among patients diagnosed with moderate and severe NPDR, the risk of DR progression and diabetic macular edema (DME) over 5 years was greatest. The results reinforce the importance of close monitoring for such patients in order to prevent unobserved disease progression towards PDR and/or DME.