Abstract:Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is a common complication in patients with diabetes mellitus(DM)that seriously affects the vision and quality of life. Ongoing research suggests that glucose-lowering therapies not only improve glycemic control but may also exert protective effects on DM related ocular complications. Although preliminary clinical data support this viewpoint, further in-depth exploration is warranted to investigate the specific mechanisms and efficacy of these drugs in DR. Currently, relevant research is still in the developmental stage and certain unresolved scientific questions and clinical challenges still exist. This narrative review summarizes the applications and recent advances of new hypoglycemic drugs in DR, with a focus on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists(GLP-1RA), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors(SGLT2i), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors(DPP-4i), highlighting mechanistic evidence, available clinical findings, and future research directions to provide insights for DR management.
