The risk for developing cataracts, a leading cause of impaired vision and blindness, is higher among individuals using statins as compared with nonusers, according to the results of a recent propensity score–matched cohort study.
Previous studies on the link between this popular class of drugs used to lower cholesterol levels and cataracts have yielded mixed results.
For their analysis, Jessica Leuschen, MD, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgery Center and San Antonio Military Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, and colleagues reviewed data from 2003 to 2010 from the medical records of patients enrolled in a military healthcare system.
Patients were split into two groups based on prescription refills during fiscal year 2005: statin users and nonusers. Statin users were defined as those who had taken statins for at least 90 days, and nonusers were individuals who had never used a statin throughout the course of the study.
Continue reading here: Statin Use Associated With Cataract Development – Consultant360.com
Reference:
Leuschen J, Mortensen EM, Frei CR, Mansi EA, Panday V, Mansi I. Association of statin use with cataracts: a propensity score-matched analysis. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2013 Sep 19. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2013.4575. [Epub ahead of print]