A diabetes medicine called metformin might be helpful in treating a serious eye disease known as age-related macular degeneration, or AMD.
This condition affects millions of older people and is one of the main causes of vision loss in people over 50, especially in the United States.
Right now, about 11 million people in the U.S. have AMD, and experts believe that number could double by the year 2050 as the population grows older.
AMD affects the center part of a person’s vision. This makes it hard to read, drive, or even recognize faces. There are two types of AMD. The first is dry AMD, which is more common and causes slow vision loss. The second is wet AMD, which is less common but can lead to more serious and sudden vision problems.
Currently, there are some treatments available for wet AMD that can help slow it down. However, there is no cure for dry AMD, and once the vision is damaged, it cannot be brought back.
Because dry AMD is linked to aging, scientists have been looking at treatments that could slow down the aging process. One drug that caught their attention is metformin.
Metformin is mostly used to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar.
But researchers have noticed something interesting: people with diabetes who take metformin often have lower rates of other age-related diseases, such as heart disease and memory loss. This made scientists wonder—could this drug also help protect people’s eyesight?
Dr. Dimitra Skondra, an eye doctor and researcher at the University of Chicago, has been exploring this question. She looked at large amounts of health data and found that people who were taking metformin had a lower chance of developing AMD.
Her studies showed that the drug seemed to lower the risk for both types of AMD, and it might even help stop a serious form of dry AMD called geographic atrophy. This form of the disease can lead to major vision loss.
Even though scientists aren’t completely sure how metformin helps, they think it may work by reducing inflammation and helping cells function better. Some studies also suggest that metformin could improve gut health, and the gut may be linked to eye health in ways we are still learning about.
Because metformin is already widely used, safe, and not expensive, it could be a great option for protecting against AMD if more studies confirm its benefits. Dr. Skondra and her team are hopeful that future clinical trials will give clear answers.
If proven effective, metformin could be a game-changer for millions of people. It might help older adults keep their vision longer, stay independent, and enjoy a better quality of life as they age.
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