A recent Modern Retina feature spotlighted insights from Sharon Fekrat, MD, FACS, FASRS, who discussed emerging evidence linking dopamine signaling to age‑related macular degeneration (AMD) during her presentation at Retina World Congress 2026. Dr. Fekrat explained that dopamine released by amacrine cells decreases with age, which may contribute to retinal changes seen in AMD. She noted that dopamine receptors are present in both the retina and the retinal pigment epithelium, offering multiple potential pathways for influence.
In the interview, she highlighted two categories of dopaminergic medications with early but notable signals: dopamine agonists such as levodopa, which may be associated with reduced progression to geographic atrophy, and dopamine antagonists, including haloperidol, metoclopramide, and risperidone, which may correlate with increased likelihood of developing wet AMD. While these findings are not yet practice‑changing, Dr. Fekrat encouraged clinicians to be mindful of systemic medications their AMD patients are taking.
She emphasized that dopaminergic therapies, if validated, would likely be used earlier in the disease course and placed this work within the broader prevention landscape, including photobiomodulation and anticipated AREDS3 data. Because these medications are already widely available, she noted that post hoc analyses of completed trials may be the most feasible path for generating additional evidence.