Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: What ophthalmologists need to know

Jan 2, 2026Survey of ophthalmology

What Eye Doctors Should Know About Drugs That Activate Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptors

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Abstract

GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may have both protective and detrimental effects on ophthalmic diseases.

Evidence regarding GLP-1RA use in ophthalmic diseases is inconsistent, with studies showing various outcomes.
Conflicting findings have been reported for conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, and age-related macular degeneration.
GLP-1RAs are more consistently associated with protective effects against idiopathic intracranial hypertension, glaucoma, and dry-eye disease.
Most clinical studies on the ophthalmic effects of GLP-1RAs derive from large electronic health record databases.
Design limitations, including lack of chart review and potential miscoding, restrict detailed analysis of ocular outcomes.

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Initially designed for the treatment of type-2 diabetes, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are multifaceted agents with promising neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. The majority of the research exploring the relationship between GLP-1RA use and ophthalmic disease comes from large database studies or secondary-analysis of randomized controlled trials investigating GLP-1RAs in cardiovascular disease and obesity. Current evidence regarding the impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists on ophthalmic diseases remains inconsistent, with studies reporting both protective and detrimental effects. For example, there are conflicting findings of an effect on diabetic retinopathy and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, as well as age-related macular degeneration, with GLP-1RA use. In contrast, GLP-1RAs have more consistently demonstrated a protective effect against idiopathic intracranial hypertension, glaucoma and dry-eye disease. Importantly, the majority of the clinical ophthalmic studies are from large electronic health record databases. Overall, limitations in the design of these studies, such as the lack of manual chart review and potential miscoding of diagnosis or treatments, prohibit a more granular analysis of comprehensive ocular endpoints. As a heterogenous medication class with differing structures, potencies, and mechanisms of action, we outline the ophthalmic effects of all Food and Drug Administration-approved GLP-1RAs. We discuss the proposed mechanisms of ocular effects and GLP-1RA use, examine the current literature investigating the impact of GLP-1RAs on ophthalmic disease, discuss the effects of specific GLP-1RAs, and outline the perioperative considerations of this medication class.

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Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: What ophthalmologists need to know

Abstract

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