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OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for diabetic retinopathy among Sioux Indians of South Dakota. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Strong Heart Study (SHS) participants with diabetes who are members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe were invited to have ophthalmological examinations in 1991. A total of 417 people had eye examinations out of the 488 diabetic SHS participants of the two tribes (85% participation rate). Fundus photographs were obtained of each eye and graded for severity of retinopathy using the modified Airlie House Classification Scheme. Risk factors for retinopathy were determined from the SHS database. RESULTS The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among participants from these tribes was 45.3%. Risk factors associated with severity of retinopathy include mean fasting glucose, level. HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, renal dialysis, and duration of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among diabetic Sioux Indians is similar to or higher than the prevalence in other diabetic Indian and non-Indian populations. Aggressive glycemic and blood pressure control is urgently needed to reduce this high rate, and annual eye examinations to detect and treat diabetic retinopathy should be emphasized.