Statin Use Associated With Cataract Development

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.

In the primary analysis, researchers examined the risks for developing cataracts in 6972 pairs of statin users and nonusers who were closely matched based on 44 variables. They found that statin users had a 9% increased risk for developing cataracts as compared with nonusers in this analysis.

The secondary analyses reviewed the risks for developing cataracts in 33,513 individuals (6113 statin users and 27,400 nonusers) with no comorbidities based on the Charlson Comorbidity Index. After adjusting for identified confounders, the authors reported a 27% higher incidence of cataracts among statin users as compared with nonusers. 

“The risk-benefit ratio of statin use, specifically for primary prevention, should be carefully weighed, and further studies are warranted,” the authors concluded.

Disclosure information can be found in the complete study, which is available online in JAMA Ophthalmology.

-Meredith Edwards White

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]