Study links levodopa use to reduced risk of geographic atrophy in AMD

Levodopa (L-DOPA), commonly known for its role in managing Parkinson’s disease, use is associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing geographic atrophy (GA) in patients with non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study.

Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis focusing on eyes with non-neovascular AMD without GA and 1-5 years of follow-up. Out of 112,933 eyes studied, 844 were exposed to L-DOPA. Matched analysis revealed that L-DOPA exposure was linked to a 32% lower risk of developing GA (hazard ratio 0.68, 95% CI: 0.48-0.95, P = 0.025).

Reference
Chan KS, Aggarwal N, Lawson S, et al. Levodopa is associated with reduced development of new-onset geographic atrophy in patients with age-related macular degeneration. Eye Vis (Lond). 2024;11(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s40662-024-00412-2. PMID: 39501348; PMCID: PMC11539668.

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