Can glaucoma medication treat diabetes?

Glaucoma drug methazolamide may help to lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics, according to Australian researchers.

The drug has been shown to have antidiabetic properties in mice, reports Diabetes UK, helping to increase insulin sensitivity and lower glucose.

In the new study on humans, 76 patients with type 2 diabetes and moderately high blood sugar levels were randomly assigned to take either methazolamide tablets or a placebo over a two-month period.

Promising results

Results showed that patients taking methazolamide had a significant reduction in HbA1c levels, as well as other benefits like weight loss and improved liver function.

"Additional benefits observed in the MTZ treatment group included significantly improved levels of alanine aminotransferase," Diabetes UK reports. "Higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) indicate liver damage therefore the reduction in ALT levels by methazolamide suggests an improvement in liver health."

Methazolamide may represent a new type of treatment for diabetes, although side effects may include blurred vision, nausea, fatigue and headaches.

Source: Diabetes UK

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