Breaking research has revealed that people who take the diabetes drug metformin may be less likely to develop Glaucoma.

The American study, recently published online in JAMA Ophthalmology, shows how, over a ten year period, diabetes sufferers taking the highest dosages of metformin (more than 1,110 grams in 2 years) had a 25 percent reduced risk of developing glaucoma compared with those not taking the drug.

Exactly how the drug may reduce the risk of glaucoma is not known, and the researchers are reluctant to suggest a cause-and-effect relationship. In addition, as the drug lowers blood sugar levels, giving metformin to non-diabetic patients could be problematic. Lead Researcher Julia Richards, a professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Michigan, says that “further work, such as a clinical trial, would be needed to tell if this could be extended to non-diabetic populations or used to prevent glaucoma in those who already have the disease.”

Sources:

1. Webmd:
   Diabetes Drug Metformin May Lower Glaucoma Risk.
2. JAMA Ophthalmology:
   Metformin Use Associated with Reduced Risk of Developing Open-Angle Glaucoma.