Diabetes Drug Linked to Lower Glaucoma Risk

The diabetes drug metformin may reduce the risk of developing open angle glaucoma, a new study finds. Researchers collected information from 10 years of health claims records of more than 150,000 people ages 40 and older. All of them had diabetes. In open angle glaucoma, fluid in the eye doesn’t drain properly and backs up. This causes the pressure in the eye to rise and put stress on the optic nerve. If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to blindness. According to the results, the risk for open angle glaucoma was 25% lower in people who took the highest amount of metformin (more than 1,110 grams in 2 years) compared with those who didn’t take the drug. The higher the dose of metformin, the lower the risk of open angle glaucoma. Even people taking lower doses of metformin had a lower risk compared with non-users. Other diabetes drugs did not have the same effect.