Clinical trial · Supplements / medicine · 3 Nov 2026
In 104 people with a sudden retinal-artery blockage, papaverine use lined up with better functional vision in a retrospective comparison
Source: Frontiers in Aging
What the research found
A retrospective cohort published 3 November 2026 matched 104 people with non-arteritic central retinal artery occlusion, 52 who received papaverine hydrochloride and 52 who did not. Functional vision, defined as best-corrected acuity of 20/100 or better, was more common with the drug at discharge (32.7 percent versus 15.4 percent) and at one month (53.8 percent versus 34.6 percent). Adjusted odds ratios were 3.52 at discharge and 3.15 at one month. The pattern looked similar across age, sex, which eye was affected, and whether thrombolysis was also used. This is not a randomized trial. It cannot show that the medicine caused the difference. The authors said prospective studies are still needed. It is not a reason to start this drug. That decision is clinician-only. Not medical advice.
Evidence level: Clinical trial. This is among the stronger kinds of evidence, but one study rarely settles a question.
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