This is a retrospective case-control study of 1136 eyes enrolled in the 784 ACCORD patients receiving cataract surgery between 2001-2014. 362 / 1136 eyes had gradable fundus photography for diabetic retinopathy (DR). Seven hundred and sixty-two eyes (67.1%) achieved 20 / 40 or better visual outcome. Factors predictive of good outcome were higher level of educational level (college vs high school (OR 2.35), bilateral cataract surgery (OR 1.55) and preoperative visual acuity (20 / 20 or better vs worse than 20 / 200, (OR 10.59)). Factors not significantly associated (p>0.05) included age, sex, race, smoking, duration of diabetes, blood pressure, lipid levels and HBA1c. In the subgroup analysis of 362 eyes, absence of DR was associated with good visual outcome (OR 1.73). Two thirds of studied eyes with diabetes achieved good visual outcome in this series. The authors concluded that sociodemographic factors might also be important considerations.