US researchers found patients prescribed glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), such as Ozempic and Wegovy, had about half the risk of developing non-infectious uveitis compared with matched controls. 

Writing in JAMA Ophthalmology, researchers from Cole Eye Institute, Ohio, said their retrospective cohort study analysed the electronic health record data of 516,052 adults between 2006 and 2025. They found the incidence of uveitis was lower among GLP-1RA users (risk ratio (RR) 0.48), with the protective association consistent for both diabetic (RR 0.54) and non-diabetic (RR 0.52) subgroups. Compared with metformin (RR 0.58) and insulin (RR 0.57), GLP-1RAs were linked to greater protection. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor prescriptions were also associated with reduced uveitis risk compared with controls (RR 0.52). 

The authors said the findings suggest GLP-1RAs potentially offer anti-inflammatory benefits beyond glycaemic control, warranting further investigation.