 
         
         
         Abstract
         
         Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in the western world
            (Munier et al 1998). The challenges for improving the visual prognosis in this disease
            are comprehensive, and involve a multitude of methodological approaches. Thus, ongoing
            research programmes are aimed at studying as diverse aspects of diabetic retinopathy
            as epidemiology, genetics, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of the
            pathophysiology of the disease. This review presents the scientific approach followed
            at Aarhus University Hospital in relation to three of these aspects-epidemiology,
            computerised grading, and elucidation of the pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy.
         
         
         
            
Key words
         
         
            Diabetic retinopathy screening · Type 2 diabetes · Diabetic maculopathy · Computerised
               grading · Retinal hyperperfusion · Autoregulation · Vasomotion · Retinal vessel analyzer
          
      
    
   
      
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T. Bek
            Department of Ophthalmology
            
            Aarhus University Hospital · DK-8000 Aarhus C · Denmark · 
            
            Phone: + 45 89493223
            
            Fax: + 45 86121653
            
            Email: toke.bek@mail.tele.dk