Evolution of retinal blood vessel segmentation methodology using wavelet transforms for assessment of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects the body's capacity to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood. One in twenty Australians are affected by diabetes, but this figure is conservative, due to the presence of subclinical diabetes, where the disease is undiagnosed, yet is already damaging the body without manifesting substantial symptoms. This incidence rate is not confined to Australia, but is typical of developed nations, and even higher in developing nations. Excess sugar in the blood results in metabolites that cause vision loss, heart failure and stroke, and damage to peripheral blood vessels.These problems contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of the Australian population, so that any improvement in early diagnosis would therefore represent a significant gain. The incidence is projected to rise, and has already become a major epidemic.