Levodopa Use Tied to Reduced Incidence of neovascular age-related macular degeneration

In the present study, researchers performed three studies. One with eyes with nAMD and two years of follow; the second included eyes with non-neovascular AMD and 1 - 5 years of follow-up; and the third included patients aged 55 years and older with newly diagnosed nAMD matched to controls without nAMD.

The study results are:

• The eyes were divided into two groups: those exposed to Levodopa before or on the date of neovascular (group 1) or non-neovascular AMD group (group 2) and those not exposed to Levodopa.
• Researchers determined the cumulative 2-year dose, namely, <100mg, ∼100-300mg, and >∼300mg per day.
• The number of intravitreal injections was the primary outcome.
• The eyes with nAMD exposed to Levodopa underwent fewer intravitreal injections.
• The eyes with non-neovascular AMD exposed to Levodopa had a reduced risk of nAMD conversion by 21 %.
• Eyes with non-neovascular AMD experienced a 35% reduced risk of conversion at years 3 – 4.

Cumulative 2-year doses of Levodopa between ∼100-300mg per day and >∼300mg decreased the odds of developing nAMD by 14%.

"Levodopa use was associated with reduced detection of new-onset neovascular AMD," investigators wrote.

Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29489269/