Jan. 24, 2024 -- People who take the diabetes drug metformin have slightly lower odds of getting age-related macular degeneration, a new study found.
The study, published in the February issue of the journal Retina, found that people who take metformin have a 5% lower risk of developing the eye disorder.
Age-related macular degeneration is a disease of the eye that may get worse over time. It is the leading cause of serious, permanent vision loss in people over 50. It happens when the central portion of your retina, called the macula, wears down. The retina is the light-sensing nerve tissue in the back of your eye.
The study included more than 85,000 patients age 55 or older who were recently diagnosed with macular degeneration as well as another 85,000-plus patients who did not have the disease. A subgroup of more than 22,000 patients also had diabetes.
Among those with diabetes, metformin was shown to lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration by 8%.
