Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is one of the most serious complicationsand leading causes of blindness for diabetic patients. In recent years, the incidence of DR shows a trend of rising year by year, which is a serious threat to the patients' physical and mental health. Autophagy is a very important physiological process that the cellular contents are processed by the primary lysosomes when the body is under the environment of substance and energy metabolism disorder. Autophagy belongs to one kind of the body's important defense mechanisms. According to the related clinical research data, autophagy can delay the occurrence and development of the chronic complications of diabetes to some extent, such as DR, peripheral neuropathy and diabetic nephropathy. There is a close relationship between autophagy and various relative factors of DR, such as oxidative stress and hypoxia. Therefore, the pathogenesis and treatment measures of DR have become critical research topics in clinical practice.