Objective To investigate the relationship between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and coronary atherosclerosis (CAS) in type 2 diabetes patients and other risk factors of DR. Methods A total of 118 patients of type 2 diabetes with DR (DR group), 120 patients of type 2 diabetes without DR matched in age and sex (non-DR group), and 86 normal controls (control group) were enrolled in this study. The body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), fasting blood-glucose (FPG), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterin (LDL-C), creatinine, estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary albumin excretion rate(UAER) in all the subjects were measured. Meanwhile, the incidence of CAS in the three groups was detected by 64slice multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA). Assume concurrent DR as dependent variable, clinical indicators and laboratory parameters as independent variable, the risk factors were determined by Logistic regression analysis. In addition, CAS as dependent variable, DR as fixed factor, analysis of covariance was used to investigate the relationship between CAS and DR. Results The incidence of CAS in DR group was higher than that in nonDR group and control group, the differences were statistically significant (chi;2=26.9,35.5;P<0.05). The results of Logistic regression analysis showed that systolic BP, BMI, CAS, myocardial infarction and UAER were key risk factors for DR [odds ratio (OR)=1.02, 0.89, 4.50, 3.89, 1.34;P<0.05]. There was a negative relationship between BMI and DR. The results of analysis of covariance showed that there was significant correlation between CAS and DR (OR=5.31, 95% confidence interval=2.62-10.60; P<0.05). Conclusion CAS is independently associated with DR in type 2 diabetes patients. In addition, the other risk factors for DR include systolic BP, BMI, myocardial infarction and UAER.