The incidence and severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN), especially those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), were higher than those with diabetes. Hemodialysis (HD), an important treatment of ESRD, may aggravate DR by increasing the oxidative stress, fundus hemorrhage and hypoxia of the optic nerve. On the other hand, HD can improve the ocular damage caused by diabetes mellitus and DN by removing uremia toxin, controlling blood pressure and removing excess body fluid.