Am J Ophthalmol

Antidepressants may reduce risk of age-related macular degeneration

September 9, 2025

SSRIs, SNRIs, and TCAs may confer a protective effect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) onset and progression, potentially via anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and neuroprotective mechanisms.

Study details: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using the TriNetX U.S. database (2004–2023), including patients aged ≥40 years. Subjects were grouped by exclusive use of SSRIs, SNRIs, or TCAs, compared with matched controls without antidepressant use. Propensity score matching adjusted for 17 confounders, including age, sex, smoking, hypertension, and CVD. Primary outcomes were incidence of non-exudative and exudative AMD, and progression from non-exudative to exudative AMD.

Results: After matching, 633,535 SSRI users, 826,404 SNRI users, and 501,873 TCA users were analyzed. All antidepressant groups showed a significantly reduced risk of non-exudative AMD (risk ratio [RR], 0.606 for SSRIs; 0.141 for SNRIs; 0.234 for TCAs), exudative AMD (RR, 0.733 for SSRIs; 0.161 for SNRIs; 0.267 for TCAs), and progression to exudative AMD (RR, 0.701 for SSRIs; 0.665 for SNRIs; 0.676 for TCAs) compared with controls.

Source:

Mahmoudzadeh R, et al. (2025, August 28). Am J Ophthalmol. Antidepressant Use and Incidence and Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a National United States Database. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40885419/