Most important risk factor in development of diabetic retinopathy is -

Ans. is 'a' i.e., Duration of type II diabetes mellitus Risk factors for development of diabetic retinopathy in diabetic patientso Risk factors associated with diabetic retinopathy areDuration of disease It is the most important risk factor. It is worth noting that it is the duration of disease after the onset of puberitv, which acts as risk factor. For example, the risk of retinopathy is roughly same for two 25 years old patients, of whom one developed DM at 12 years (onset of puberty) and other at the age of 6 years because both have same duration (13 yrs) of disease after the onset of puberty. The risk of retinopathy in children diagnosed prior to the age of 2 years have a negligible risk of retinopathy for the first 10 years. So, age of onset also acts as a risk factor. However, after onset of puberty, age of onset is not a risk factor.Sex Incidence is more in femalesPoor glycemic controlAccompanying factors Hypertension, smoking, poor renal status, obesity', hyperlipidemiaPregnancy May accelerate the changes of diabetic retinopathy.