GLP-1 Evidence

Not medical advice. A record of published research and our assessments of it. The limits

GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Initiation and Anti-VEGF Treatment Frequency in Diabetic Macular Edema: an IRIS <sup>®</sup> Registry Cohort Study

Design
Retrospective cohort · Unknown outcome
Match to healthy normal-weight adults aged 55–75
Different population[Auto] Participants had type 2 diabetes and obesity/overweight (age/BMI not reported in abstract).
Could weight loss explain it?
Possibly[Auto] Participants had obesity and/or type 2 diabetes and the abstract does not separate direct drug effects from weight loss or glycaemic improvement.
Study tier
Preliminary[Auto] Not peer reviewed (preprint, abstract or registration). Early-warning only.
Assessment
Version 1 · automatic, not yet reviewed by a person · Sep 13, 2026

Study facts come from the paper. Population match, weight-loss explanation and study tier are our judgments, made against the reference group of healthy normal-weight adults aged 55–75. This item has not been peer reviewed.

[Auto, unreviewed; last sentences of abstract] <h4>Précis</h4> 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.

01Findings

What the study reported

Drugs
Class unspecified
Primary outcome
Not extracted
Effect
Not extracted
95% confidence interval
Not extracted
Follow-up
12 months
Adverse events
Not extracted
Limitations
Auto-classified from abstract only; effect estimates, adverse events and limitations not extracted. Requires manual review.

Who was studied

Obesity status
obesity/overweight present (all or most)
Diabetes status
type 2 diabetes present (all or most)
Ckd status
chronic kidney disease present in population (see abstract)
Baseline condition
chronic kidney disease

Study quality details

Study design
Retrospective cohort
Sample size
not extracted
Randomization
no
Blinding
not stated
Comparator
not stated
Follow up duration
12 months
Outcome type
unknown
Replication
not assessed (auto)
Consistency with other evidence
not assessed (auto)
Population applicability
INDIRECT
Statistical precision
not extracted
Risk of bias
not assessed (auto)
Funding conflicts
unclear
Peer review status
no
02Funding

Funding and conflicts

Funding
not reported in abstract
Industry funded
Unclear
Manufacturer
None identified
Sponsor role
not reported in abstract
Author conflicts
not available in metadata
Independent replication
unknown

Funding is shown on every study and never used to score it.

04Source

The source, as retrieved

Abstract

<h4>Purpose</h4> 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). <h4>Methods</h4> 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. <h4>Results</h4> 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). <h4>Conclusion</h4> In these matched cohorts, GLP-1RA initiation was not associated with the trajectory of anti-VEGF use or changes in VA or CST. <h4>Précis</h4> 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.

Where this record came from

SourceRetrievedIdentifier
europepmcSep 13, 2026PPR:PPR1310218
first ingestion
medrxiv:medrxivSep 13, 202610.64898/2026.08.29.26361426
duplicate matched on doi