People with type 2 diabetes who are taking empagliflozin are less likely to develop diabetic retinopathy compared to those not using the drug, new evidence has revealed.
A recent study from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US has found that people with a history of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) can combat the development of diabetic retinopathy by taking empagliflozin.
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of type 2 diabetes, caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye (retina).
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Previous research has discovered that empagliflozin can also protect people from developing cardiovascular and renal problems.
During the study, the researchers looked at the health outcomes of adults with type 2 diabetes who were using either empagliflozin or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i).
The participants were divided into two groups: 34,239 matched pairs for evaluating the risk of developing new NPDR and 7,831 matched pairs for examining the progression of diabetic retinopathy in those with preexisting NPDR.
People with preexisting NPDR were 22% less likely to go on and develop diabetic retinopathy, the study has reported. However, empagliflozin did not affect the onset of NPDR, the research has identified.
“More research is needed to explore long-term outcomes with more complete patient data, such as duration of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy severity at baseline, and conducting direct patient evaluations rather than relying solely on claims data,” said the authors.
Read the study in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.
