Smith JJ, et al. - Among 2,770 people with type 2 diabetes in the Republic of Ireland, researchers determined factors correlated with progression to referable diabetic retinopathy. Participants in the study were recruited between April 2005 and July 2013. Utilizing Cox proportional hazards models, connections between risk factors (most recently recorded value, and rate of change in value between pairs of consecutive systemic evaluations) and development of referable diabetic retinopathy were estimated. Increased risk of referral was associated with higher current values of HbA1c, systolic blood pressure and triglycerides. Reduced risk of referral was related to higher current BMI and diastolic blood pressure. The presence of baseline retinopathy was strongly correlated with increased referral risk. Modest associations were observed between systemic factors and risk of progression towards referable retinopathy.