CGRP Inhibitors Use in Migraine Patients Linked to Lower Glaucoma Risk: Study

The findings were published in the Neurology journal by Chien-Chih Chou and colleagues in a study titled Glaucoma Risk Associated With Calcitonin Gene–Related Peptide Inhibitor Use in Migraine.

Migraines have previously been associated with a higher likelihood of glaucoma, a progressive eye disease that can lead to vision loss if untreated. Calcitonin gene-related peptide inhibitors are increasingly used as preventive therapies for migraine, but their possible influence on glaucoma risk has remained unclear.

To explore this association, researchers conducted a multinational retrospective cohort study involving adults diagnosed with migraine between 2018 and 2024. Participants receiving preventive migraine medications were divided into two groups: those treated with CGRP inhibitors and those receiving non-CGRP preventive therapies such as topiramate, valproate, propranolol, metoprolol, amitriptyline, venlafaxine, and other commonly prescribed agents.

The study included 73,644 participants after propensity score matching in a 1:1 ratio. Patients were followed for up to three years to monitor the development of glaucoma. Researchers excluded treatment crossover to ensure clearer comparisons between the groups.   

According to the researchers, the findings suggest that systemic CGRP inhibition—particularly through monoclonal antibody therapies—may offer additional ocular benefits beyond migraine prevention. They proposed that CGRP blockade could potentially influence intraocular pressure regulation, which may contribute to the reduced risk of glaucoma.

The authors concluded that among adults receiving preventive migraine treatment, CGRP inhibitors were associated with a lower incidence of glaucoma compared with other preventive medications, warranting further investigation into the mechanisms underlying this relationship.