Common Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Linked to Lower Risk of Vision-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes

Highlight

• Common anti-inflammatory medications cetirizine, ibuprofen, and prednisone are associated with significantly reduced risk of diabetic macular edema (DME) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in adults with type 2 diabetes.
• The effect sizes of these drugs are comparable to fenofibrate, a known protective agent against diabetic retinopathy progression.
• Robust propensity score matching and sensitivity analyses minimize confounding, supporting the validity of findings.
• This study suggests a role for systemic anti-inflammatory therapy as a promising strategy in preventing vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy, warranting prospective clinical trials.

Study Background