United States researchers have found that patients using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) appear to have a lower risk of age-related eye diseases.

GLP-1 RAs are used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. Examples of the drugs in this class include Exenatide, Liraglutide, Dulaglutide, and Semaglutide.1

The study found GLP-1 RAs significantly reduced the risk of nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), exudative AMD, and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) compared with other medications such as metformin, insulin, statins, and aspirin in older patients with long-term follow-up.

The study results were published in Ophthalmology.2

Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of 108 million de-identified electronic US health records. They aimed to evaluate whether GLP-1RAs protect against age-related ocular diseases (AMD, glaucoma, cataracts), while controlling for demographic and clinical confounders. Patients older than 60 years with five or more years of ophthalmology follow-up and medication use (GLP-1 RAs, metformin, statins, insulin, and aspirin) were included in the study.

GLP-1 RAs significantly reduced the hazard of nonexudative AMD compared with metformin (HR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56–0.84), insulin (HR 0.72; 95% CI, 0.58–0.89), statins (HR 0.70; 95% CI, 0.57–0.87), and aspirin (HR 0.60; 95% CI, 0.49–0.74).

GLP-1 RAs use was also associated with a lower hazard of exudative AMD (HR 0.62; 95% CI, 0.47–0.82) and POAG (HR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.69–0.91) compared with insulin.

The reduction in exudative AMD was also observed relative to aspirin and statins, while POAG risk was lower compared with metformin and aspirin. GLP-1 RAs had minimal impact on cataract formation and ocular hypertension in the study’s five-year period.

References available at mivision.com.au.