Correlation between Diabetic Retinopathy and the Stage of Peripheral Arterial Disease among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Diabetes mellitus is associated with both microvascular and macrovascular complications. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) reflects systemic microvascular injury, whereas peripheral arterial disease (PAD) represents a major macrovascular complication. Whether the severity of DR is associated with the clinical severity of lower-extremity PAD is clinically relevant, particularly in resource-limited settings.