Objective: to study the characteristics of the diabetic retinopathy and some related factors in patients with type 2 diabetes. Subject and research methods: a cross-sectional descriptive study on 80 patients with type 2 diabetes to be examined and treated at the Internal Medicine Department of Thai Binh Medical University Hospital from January to December 2019. Result: • The percentage of patients with damage to the retina accounts for 42.5%; of which, 38.8% were nonproliferative retinopathy, 17.5% were macular disease, 2.5% were pre-proliferative retinopathy and 1.2% were proliferative retinopathy. • The risk of retinal damage increased higher in women than in men; the OR coeffecient of subgroups, namely age ≥ 70 years; diabetic duration ≥ 10 years; BMI ≥ 23 (kg/m2), hypertension, was 1.4; 2.5; 4.0; 4.5; 2.5, respectively. Patients with blood glucose ≥ 7 mmol/L, HbA1c ≥ 7%; total cholesterol > 5.2 mmol/L, triglyceride > 1.88 mmol/L had higher risk of retinopathy with OR coefficient of 2.3; 2.5; 3.2; 2.0, respectively. Patients who were non-compliance with treatment had 3.8 times higher risk of retinopathy than those who complied with treatment. Conclusion: the percentage of patients with retinopathy was 42.5%, the risk of retinopathy increased in patients with one of the following characteristics: female, age ≥ 70 years, duration of diabetes ≥ 10 years, BMI ≥ 23 (kg / m2), hypertension, blood glucose concentration ≥ 7 mmol/L, HbA1c ≥ 7%; cholesterol> 5.2 mmol/L, triglyceride> 1.88 mmol/L.