Many countries have experienced a startling rise in obesity rates over the past 2 decades. Obesity carries many health-related implications, including an increased risk for diabetes mellitus, which affects an estimated 6.3% of the US population and 4% of the worldwide population. Diabetes often affects the small vasculature of end organs, including the eye. Diabetic retinopathy affects about one half of persons with diabetes and is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States among working-age people. Diabetic macular edema results from pathologic capillary permeability related to overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and other cytokine mediators. This fluid and exudate accumulation in the portion of the retina responsible for central visual function, the macula, is the most common cause of visual impairment from diabetic retinopathy. The first treatment proven effective for diabetic macular edema management was focal laser photocoagulation, defined by the landmark ETDRS trial in the 1980s. Focal laser treatment remained the standard of care for the treatment of diabetic macular edema for about 25 years. Read more about Better Treatments for Diabetic Macular Edema ON medscape.com