[Eye fundus of the diabetic patient with nephropathy and hypertensive retinopathy. Macroangiopathic complications].

In patients with diabetic nephropathy retinopathy is always present and proliferative retinopathy is common. Retinopathy tends to deteriorate as renal failure develops particularly in patients with poorly controlled blood pressure and in patients in whom no retinal treatment has been given before development of renal failure. Treatment of hypertension and of end stage renal failure will improve macular edema and stabilize vision. As the progression of diabetic retinopathy is independent of diabetic nephropathy and not reversed by treatment of nephropathy, further follow-up and treatment of diabetic retinopathy are imperative. In recent years medical treatment of arterial hypertension and facilities for dialysis and kidney transplantation have become available, and patients are now treated at a much earlier stage of their renal disease. Consequently, were are seeing fewer patients with renal failure and severe hypertensive fundus changes. Nevertheless, arterial hypertension is still a very important problem in diabetic patients with and without nephropathy and complications of atherosclerosis are common as a result of chronic hypertension and hyperlipidemia.