The purpose of this study is to characterize type 2 diabetic patients with initial alterations of diabetic retinopathy (DR) based on 3 different phenotypes previously identified and different patterns of progression in order to correlate this data with genetic information.

This study aims to to characterize type 2 diabetic patients with initial alterations of diabetic retinopathy (DR) based on three different phenotypes previously identified and different patterns of progression [Lobo, 2004] in order to correlate this data with genetic information (based on a list of candidate genes previously identified as being involved in DR).

The results of this study will be used exclusively for scientific purposes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Type-2 diabetic subjects form the PTDC/SAU-OSM/72635/2006 clinical trial (early stages of non-proliferative retinopathy - level 30 to 35 ETDRS;. females or males; age over 18 years) with a signed Informed Consent for this study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Cataract or other eye disease that may interfere with fundus examinations; Vitreous syneresis or posterior vitreous detachment; and Dilatation of the pupil < 5 mm.

Type-2 diabetic subjects in the early stages of non-proliferative retinopathy (level 30 to 35 ETDRS) included in the clinical trial "Validation of a predictive model to estimate the risk of conversion to clinically significant macular edema and/or vision loss in mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy in diabetes type 2" (Protocol number: PTDC/SAU-OSM/72635/2006; ongoing at AIBILI Clinical Trial Center).