Semaglutide, a medication for managing diabetes, is associated with a significantly lower risk of several serious eye complications in patients with diabetic retinopathy, suggesting it is safe and potentially beneficial for these patients in terms of eye health, according to a poster presented at ASRS 2024.
The study analyzed 57,680 patients with diabetic retinopathy, equally divided between those who received semaglutide and those who did not. The findings revealed that the semaglutide cohort had significantly lower odds of developing several complications over different time frames:
- Diabetic macular edema: 1-year odds ratio (OR) 0.52, 5-year OR 0.45, lifetime OR 0.42
- Intravitreal anti-VEGF injections: 1-year OR 0.63, 5-year OR 0.55, lifetime OR 0.48
- Vitreous hemorrhage: 1-year OR 0.37, 5-year OR 0.36, lifetime OR 0.31
- Pars plana vitrectomy: 1-year OR 0.43, 5-year OR 0.41, lifetime OR 0.39
- Pan retinal photocoagulation: 1-year OR 0.33, 5-year OR 0.32, lifetime OR 0.28
The study concluded that in patients with diabetic retinopathy, semaglutide use is associated with significantly lower odds of developing diabetic macular edema, vitreous hemorrhage, pars plana vitrectomy, pan retinal photocoagulation, and requiring intravitreal anti-VEGF injections. These results support the safety of semaglutide for glycemic control in DR patients.
Reference
Yadav S, et al. Association Between Semaglutide Use and Diabetic Retinopathy Outcomes Using a Large Multicenter Database. Poster presented at: ASRS 42nd Annual Meeting: July 17–20, 2024.
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