Compared with the non-DR-worsening group, patients with the DR-worsening outcome were more likely to be younger, have lower baseline BCVA (or higher logMAR BCVA), have more frequency of diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and hyperlipidemia, and the differences in laboratory parameters related to renal function (creatinine, urea, uric acid, serum cystatin C) and anemia (hemoglobin, hematocrit) were also statistically significant (P < 0.05). Here, CST3 is linked to anemia (phenotype).