How long is it supposed to it take diabetic retinopathy to develop?

At least ten years: Factors that affect the onset of diabetic retinopathy include the degree of blood sugar and blood pressure control and the duration of diabetes.

Variable: Once diabetes has affected your body, retinopathy can start from 3-5 years after the start unless you have reasonable control. Having good control of the diabetes will delay and even prevent the retinopathy from developing. You want to keep you hba1c below 7.0 and even below 6.5 if possible. Work closely with your diabetic specialist for this.

At time of diagnosis: Remember, type 2 diabetics need to get an eye exam as soon as they are diagnosed with diabetes because retinopathy could already be present. Do not wait 10 years to see your eye doctor. For type 1 diabetics, it is ok to wait a little bit before getting an eye exam however, yearly exams are encouraged regardless.