Is Magnesium Part of  The Answer to Diabetic Retinopathy? 80% of diabetics are affected by diabetic retinopathy. New research suggests that low levels of magnesium could be an important contributor to this important problem. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. This new meta-analysis gives an important clue for how to prevent it. This meta-analysis of studies on magnesium and diabetic retinopathy included 17 studies of 1100 diabetics with diabetic retinopathy and 1132 diabetics without diabetic retinopathy.