Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40940077›Full record

ArticleBMJ open ophthalmology2025

Association of metformin use with primary open-angle glaucoma using data from the National Institutes of Health

Sophia Sidhu, Bharanidharan Radha Saseendrakumar, Varsha Varkhedi, Jo-Hsuan Wu, Aman Parikh, Eric Nudleman, Jiun L Do, Sasan Moghimi, Robert N Weinreb, Sally L Baxter

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open ophthalmology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Sophia SidhuDivision of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science, Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5371-3483
Bharanidharan Radha SaseendrakumarDivision of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science, Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Varsha VarkhediDivision of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science, Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Jo-Hsuan WuDivision of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science, Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9435-746X
Aman ParikhDivision of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science, Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Eric NudlemanDivision of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science, Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Jiun L DoDivision of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science, Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Sasan MoghimiDivision of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science, Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Robert N WeinrebDivision of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science, Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Sally L BaxterDivision of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science, Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA s1baxter@health.ucsd.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5271-7690

Funding

Technology to Empower Changes in Health (TECH) Network Participant Technologies CenterU24OD023176 · OD · SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE · PI Eric Jeffrey Topol · 2021 to 2021
$52.3M
Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort Program BiobankU24OD023121 · OD · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER · PI Mine Cicek, Travis Henry · 2023 to 2023
$35.4M
Data and Research Support CenterU2COD023196 · OD · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI DAVID GLAZER, Paul A. Harris · 2022 to 2022
$16.0M
Healthy Americas: All of Us Research ProgramOT2OD025277 · NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR HISPANIC HEALTH · 2025 to 2025
$3.0M
Vision BiostatisticsP30EY022589 · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2025 to 2025
$758k
NEI NIH HHS P30 EY022589NIH HHS DP5 OD029610NIH HHS OT2 OD023205NIH HHS OT2 OD023206NIH HHS OT2 OD025276NIH HHS OT2 OD025277NIH HHS OT2 OD025315NIH HHS OT2 OD025337NIH HHS OT2 OD026548NIH HHS OT2 OD026549NIH HHS OT2 OD026550NIH HHS OT2 OD026551NIH HHS OT2 OD026552NIH HHS OT2 OD026553NIH HHS OT2 OD026554NIH HHS OT2 OD026555NIH HHS OT2 OD026556NIH HHS OT2 OD026557NIH HHS U24 OD023121NIH HHS U24 OD023163NIH HHS U24 OD023176NIH HHS U2C OD023196
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFew studies have assessed the impact of metformin use on glaucoma risk. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between metformin use and the incidence of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in a diverse and large nationwide cohort.

methodsWe included a retrospective cohort study of 18 440 participants in the National Institutes of Health

resultsWithin the cohort, 240 participants acquired a diagnosis of POAG during all available follow-up time, while 18 200 did not. In regression-based bivariate analysis, metformin use was significantly associated with a lower odds of developing POAG (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.47, p<0.001). In multivariable regression analysis, metformin remained protective against POAG (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.50, p<0.001), while the use of other diabetic medications was associated with an increased odds of developing POAG (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.48 to 3.90, p<0.001). In survival analysis, the probability of developing POAG was significantly lower for the participants using metformin than for the participants not using metformin (log-rank p<0.001, Cox proportional HR 0.38, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.51).

conclusionsThis study provides additional large-scale observational health data supporting the protective role of metformin in the development of POAG. However, limitations include the study's observational design and lack of data on metformin dosage and duration, glaucoma severity and ocular exam findings. Despite these limitations, our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence suggesting a potential protective effect of metformin against POAG.

Indexed as

Glaucoma, Open-AngleHypoglycemic AgentsMetforminNational Institutes of Health (U.S.)AdultAgedDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2FemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsUnited StatesHypoglycemic AgentsMetforminDrugsEpidemiologyGlaucoma

Identifiers

PMID40940077
PMCPMC12519326

What Socratic holds

Texttitle and abstract
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.