Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2025
04:36
Author Spotlight: Understanding Retinal Vessel Resilience and Disease Progression
Published on: January 12, 2024
995
Association Between Long-Term Metformin Use and Risk of Open Angle Glaucoma in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus
Shiang-Wen Huang1, Yung-Rung Lai2,3, Yih Yang4
1School of Medicine.
Journal of Glaucoma
|May 15, 2025
Summary
Metformin use in diabetes patients showed a protective effect against open-angle glaucoma at lower doses. Higher metformin doses did not demonstrate a significant impact on glaucoma risk.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Endocrinology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a prevalent condition associated with various microvascular complications.
- Open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness globally.
- The potential impact of common diabetes medications like metformin on OAG risk remains an area of investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between long-term metformin use and the risk of developing open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).
- To determine if metformin exerts a dose-dependent effect on OAG risk.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study utilizing a Taiwanese national health database (2002-2013).
- Comparison of OAG risk between metformin-treated and sulfonylureas-treated DM patients over a 5-year follow-up.
- Cox proportional hazard models were employed to estimate OAG risk, adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, and analyzing cumulative defined daily doses (cDDDs) of metformin.
Main Results:
- A total of 2,102 patients (0.29%) developed OAG within 5 years of DM diagnosis.
- Metformin use at lower cumulative doses (<30, 30-120, 120-240 cDDDs) was associated with a reduced risk of OAG (HRs: 0.81, 0.83, 0.90, respectively) compared to sulfonylureas.
- Higher cumulative metformin doses (>240 cDDDs) showed no significant difference in OAG risk (HR: 1.03) compared to sulfonylureas.
Conclusions:
- Lower cumulative doses of metformin appear to offer a moderate protective effect against open-angle glaucoma in patients with diabetes.
- No significant dose-dependent relationship was observed between metformin use and the risk of developing open-angle glaucoma.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones
142
Biguanides, particularly metformin (Glucophage), are insulin sensitizers that enhance glucose uptake, thereby reducing insulin resistance. Unlike sulfonylureas, metformin doesn't prompt insulin secretion, which helps to curb hypoglycemia risk. Metformin is beneficial in treating conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome due to its insulin-resistance reduction capability. The drug's primary action involves curtailing hepatic gluconeogenesis, a significant contributor to high blood...
142
01:27Open Angle Glaucoma: Treatment
368
In open-angle glaucoma, the iridocorneal angle remains open, but the trabecular meshwork becomes stiff, slowing down the outflow of aqueous humor. This causes a buildup of aqueous humor in the anterior chamber, leading to a sudden increase in intraocular pressure. The treatment for open-angle glaucoma focuses on reducing the elevated intraocular pressure by either decreasing the secretion of aqueous humor or increasing its outflow.
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...
368
01:25Glaucoma: Overview
481
Glaucoma is an eye condition characterized by increased intraocular pressure that damages the retina and optic nerve, leading to irreversible blindness if left untreated. The human eye has various components, including the cornea, iris, pupil, lens, and optic nerve. Aqueous humor is secreted by the epithelium of the ciliary body in the posterior chamber and flows through the trabecular meshwork and canal of Schlemm, maintaining normal intraocular pressure. The trabecular meshwork and the canal...
481
01:15Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
487
For most patients, experiencing several weeks of polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and significant weight loss may indicate the presence of diabetes. Furthermore, adults displaying the phenotypic appearance of type 2 diabetes (particularly those who are obese and not initially insulin-requiring), may have islet cell autoantibodies, suggesting autoimmune-mediated β cell destruction and a diagnosis of latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). The categorization of glucose homeostasis is...
487
01:28Angle Closure Glaucoma: Treatment
397
Angle-closure glaucoma, or closed-angle glaucoma, is an eye condition where the iris bulges out and blocks the iridocorneal angle, resulting in a buildup of aqueous humor and increased intraocular pressure. Immediate medical attention is necessary due to the sudden onset of symptoms. The treatment for angle-closure glaucoma includes short-term and long-term approaches. Short-term treatment involves using eye drops like pilocarpine to lower intraocular pressure by increasing aqueous humor...
397
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
2.1K
Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
2.1K