Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is one of the major diseases that causing blindness and low vision in the world. A series of systemic(hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.)and ocular factors can effect its occurrence and progression. Therefore, understanding these risk factors may help us to predict the prognosis and stratify the risk. Some studies have found that myopia may have a protective effect on the occurrence and progression of DR, but the results are different. Furthermore, it is also unclear which factor in myopia, the axial length, or the other refractive components is the main cause of this protective effect. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the association between myopia, axial length(AL), anterior chamber depth(ACD)and refractive components(lens biometry and corneal curvature)with DR.