Metformin: UK Researchers Find Diabetes Drug Linked to Reduced AMD Progression
Doctors have found that metformin, one of the most widely prescribed treatments for diabetes, is associated with a significantly lower risk of progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
People with diabetes over the age of 55 years taking metformin were 37% less likely to develop the intermediate stage of AMD over a five year period compared to those not taking metformin.
The research from the University of Liverpool used fundus photographs of 2,000 people attending the routine diabetic eye disease screening programme in Liverpool over 5 years. The researchers assessed whether AMD was present on the photographs and how severe it was, and then compared those taking metformin and those who were not. They also adjusted for factors which might bias the result such as age, sex, and duration of diabetes. The odds of developing intermediate AMD over 5 years in the metformin group was 0.63 compared to the no metformin group (95% confidence range 0.43 to 0.92).
The scientists found a significant association between metformin use and reduction in incidence of intermediate AMD by 37% in people with diabetes over 5 years.A potential benefit from metformin in AMD has been suspected before, but this is the first study to grade AMD from colour fundus photographs. Previous studies on metformin have used secondary information on AMD such as GP diagnostic codes, or insurance claims in the US. Given metformin’s anti-ageing therapeutic effects, the reduction in risk is plausible and warrants prospective clinical trials.
Dr Nick Beare, an ophthalmologist who led this research, says: “Most people who suffer from AMD have no treatment, so this is a great breakthrough in our search for new treatments. What we need to do now is test metformin as a treatment for AMD in a clinical trial. Metformin has the potential to save many people’s sight.”
Paper: Romdhoniyyah DF, Alshukri A, Parry DG, Harding S, Beare NAV. Metformin and incidence of age-related macular degeneration in people with diabetes: a population-based 5-year case-control study. BMJ Open Ophthalmology. 2026;11:e002339. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjophth-2025-002339
Source: University of Liverpool