Diabetes remains and increasingly becomes a global healthcare problem with diabetic retinopathy (DR) being the most severe often. This study aimed to analyze the association between identifiable clinical and demographic factors and the progression of diabetic retinopathy using such a novel statistical framework. The main multicentric cohort study included 200 diabetic patients divided into two groups; none with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and one with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Parameters like glycemic index, diabetes duration, and hypertension were assessed. The results demonstrated that poor glycemic control (HbA1c≥7.5) was associated (p=0.003) with the development of the disease from NPDR to PDR with an average level of HbA1c 8.3±1.4 in group PDR whereas 6.9±1.2 in group NPDR. Also, the longer duration of the disease p=0.021 and uncontrolled hypertension p=0.014 were strongly related to the severity of DR. The findings emphasize the need for adequate risk assessment and management of the patients to prevent or minimize the risk of irreversible visual impairment. These statistically significant results provide new information regarding the complexity of DR progression.