Could metformin fill the bill for geographic atrophy prevention?

Key Takeaways

• A study found that the risk of developing geographic atrophy declined significantly in patients who had a history of treatment with metformin.
• The findings add to other data showing an association between metformin use and a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Geographic atrophy (GA) is a late stage of dry AMD in which cells in regions of the retina waste away and die (atrophy), causing blind spots in the visual field. A new study presented at the 2024 American Society of Retina Specialists annual meeting found that that the risk of developing geographic atrophy (GA) declined significantly in patients who had a history of treatment with metformin, a drug used to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and for other conditions. Overall, the prevalence of GA was 12% lower in patients with or without diabetes. The magnitude of reduction increased to almost 50% in patients without diabetes. The findings add to other data showing an association between metformin use and a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), said Dimitra Skondra, MD, PhD, of the University of Chicago at the presentation.

“We still have an unmet need for therapeutics to prevent geographic atrophy,” said Skondra. “Metformin use was associated with decreased risk of new-onset…geographic atrophy of up to 47%. It has the potential to be repurposed to prevent GA, given how easy and accessible it is. Additional studies are needed to confirm these associations and to motivate a clinical trial.”

Edited by Miriam Kaplan, PhD

Source:

Charles Bankhead, MedPage Today, July 22, 2024; see source article