US researchers found patients taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), such as semaglutide (Ozempic), commonly prescribed for glycaemic control in diabetes, had half the risk of developing non-infectious uveitis compared with controls.

Writing in JAMA Ophthalmology, researchers from Cole Eye Institute, Ohio, said the cohort study included the health records of 258,026 patients. After adjusting for patients’ demographics, smoking status, hypertension, body mass index, HbA1c and diabetic retinopathy stage, GLP-1RAs’ protective effect was shown to be greater than that of metformin and insulin but slightly lower than that of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, said researchers.

“These findings suggest potential anti-inflammatory benefits beyond glycaemic control, warranting further investigation into (GLP-1RAs’) role in ocular inflammatory diseases,” they concluded.