A study conducted by Taiwanese researchers found that metformin, a common diabetes medication, may protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This common eye condition is a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50+, affecting 2.1 million people in the United States.
AMD is a degenerative disease that happens when part of the retina called the macula is damaged. It’s the part of the eye that delivers sharp, central vision needed to see objects straight ahead. Over time, the loss of central vision can interfere with everyday activities, such as the ability to drive, read, and see faces clearly.
Metformin suppresses inflammation and oxidative stress, which not only play a key role in the development of diabetes but also in AMD. How this eye disease develops is not fully understood, as it involves genetics, environment, and lifestyle factors; however, researchers have shown that oxidative stress and inflammation play a critical role in the development and progression of AMD. For this reason, the team of researchers decided to study if this drug could also protect against AMD.
For the study, the researchers collected data on all patients recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, whom were followed-up for 13 years. The patients were divided whether or not were prescribed metformin. The metformin-prescribed group was formed by 45,524 patients; and the other by 22,681 patients. The results showed the risk of developing AMD was half among the group that took metformin.
“Our study is the first to reveal the protective effect of metformin on the development of AMD,” said lead investigator, Yu-Yen Chen, M.D. “While more study is required to determine just how metformin protects against the development of AMD, this is an exciting development for patients at risk.”
Source: Sience Daily
