The incidence of LEA in the Taiwan diabetic population decreased over the study period. The results indicate that efforts to improve diabetic care should be supported and sustainable, especially for those at high risk.

Purpose This population-based, retrospective cohort study was to investigate whether metformin is associated with a lower risk of subsequent age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2001 to 2013, 68205 subjects with type 2 diabetes were enrolled in the study cohort. Among them, 45524 were metformin users and 22681 were nonusers. The metformin and nonmetformin groups were followed until the end of 2013. Cox regression analyses were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for AMD development associated with metformin use. Confounders included for adjustment were age, sex, and comorbidities (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, obesity, diabetic retinopathy, chronic kidney disease, and insulin treatment). Furthermore, propensity score (PS) matching method was used to choose the matched sample, and PS-adjusted Cox regression was performed. Finally, how HRs changed according to metformin treatment duration and dose was also evaluated in the metformin group. Results After adjusting for confounders, the metformin group had a significantly lower risk of AMD (adjusted HR = 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.50–0.58). In the PS-matched sample, the significance remained (adjusted HR = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.52–0.63). In the metformin group, the adjusted HRs for the second (1.5–4 years) and third (≥4 years) tertiles of metformin treatment duration were 0.52 and 0.14, respectively, compared with the first tertile (<1.5 years). We also found significant trends of lower HRs (all p-value for trend <0.05) with increasing total and average doses. Conclusions Among patients with type 2 diabetes, those who use metformin are at a significantly lower risk of developing AMD relative to individuals who do not use metformin. Also, the trend of a significantly lower AMD risk was found with a higher dose of metformin.

ObjectivesTo investigate a possible association between normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD).DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingNTG group and the comparison group were retrieved from the whole population of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2013.ParticipantsA total of 15 317 subjects with NTG were enrolled in the NTG group, and 61 268 age-matched and gender-matched subjects without glaucoma were enrolled in the comparison group.Primary and secondary outcome measuresKaplan-Meier curves were generated to compare the cumulative hazard of AD between the two groups. A multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of AD, adjusted for diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, coronary artery disease and stroke. Furthermore, risk factors for developing AD among the NTG group were investigated.ResultsThe mean age of the cohort was 62.1±12.5 years. Patients with NTG had significantly higher proportions of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, coronary artery disease and stroke than the comparisons. Patients with NTG had a significantly higher cumulative hazard for AD than the comparisons (p<0.0001). In the multivariable Cox regression after adjustment for confounders, the NTG group had a significantly higher risk of AD (adjusted HR 1.52; 95% CI 1.41 to 1.63). Moreover, in the NTG group, when we compared the effects of different types of glaucoma eye drops, none of the eye drops used were significant risk factors or protective factors for AD.ConclusionsPeople with NTG are at a significantly greater risk of developing AD compared with individuals without glaucoma. Among patients with NTG, none of the glaucoma eye drops used significantly changed the risk of subsequent AD.