GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Initiation and Anti-VEGF Treatment Frequency in Diabetic Macular Edema: an IRIS ® Registry Cohort Study
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Purpose To evaluate whether initiation of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) is associated with anti-VEGF treatment burden in type 2 diabetes patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) in the IRIS ® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight). Methods Incident GLP-1RA initiators were matched 1:1 with controls via Mahalanobis distance matching (9,896 pairs; N=19,792) on sociodemographics, DME risk factors, and factors influencing GLP-1RA prescription including hypertension, obesity, chronic kidney disease. A longitudinal mixed-effects event-study model evaluated monthly anti-VEGF injection frequency over a 36-month window (12 months before through 24 months after initiation), adjusting for DME duration. Visual acuity (VA) and central subfield thickness (CST) were secondary outcomes. Results Following GLP-1RA initiation, anti-VEGF injection trajectories did not significantly differ between the matched GLP-1RA and control cohorts (interaction coefficients −0.18 to 1.59, P>0.05). Likewise, no differences in VA were observed between cohorts (−0.05 to 0.04 logMAR, P>0.05) or CST (−14.12 to 33.58 µm, P>0.05). Conclusion In these matched cohorts, GLP-1RA initiation was not associated with the trajectory of anti-VEGF use or changes in VA or CST. Précis We used the American Academy of Ophthalmology IRIS ® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) to identify patients with DME. In 19,792 matched patients, there was no significant reduction in injection frequency post GLP1-RA initiation and no significant change in VA or CST.
Source: medRxiv
Language: English
Subfield: Ophthalmology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204809020