Retinopathy is any damage to the retina of
the eyes, which may cause vision impairment. Retinopathy often refers to
retinal vascular disease, or damage to the retina caused by abnormal blood
flow. Age-related macular degeneration is technically included under the
umbrella term retinopathy but is often discussed as a separate entity.
Retinopathy, or retinal vascular disease, can be broadly categorized into
proliferative and non-proliferative types. Frequently, retinopathy is an ocular
manifestation of systemic disease as seen in diabetes or hypertension. Diabetes
is the most common cause of retinopathy in the U.S. as of 2008. Diabetic
retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-aged people. It
accounts for about 5% of blindness worldwide and is designated a priority eye
disease by the World Health Organization.