Cataract statins

A case-control analysis of 7405 cases and 28 327 controls suggested that concomitant use of simvastatin and erythromycin is associated with an increased risk of cataract (53). Studies in dogs have shown that some statins are associated with cataract when given in excessive doses (54). 

Schlienger RG, Haefeli WE, Jick H, Meier CR. Risk of cataract in patients treated with statins. Arch Intern Med 2001 161(16) 2021-6. 

Coenzyme Q deficiency is implicated at least in part in the development of many of the side effects of statins, such as myopathies and rhabdomyolysis with renal failure, increased incidence of neoplasia, cataracts, peripheral neuropathies, and also some psychiatric disturbances. Despite this long list, the medical literature describes statins as well tolerated dmgs, and their use in some cases is indiscriminate. Health News (September 2001), a publication of the Massachusetts Medical Society, recently... 

Cataract Owing to the high cholesterol content of the human lens, concerns were raised early on about the risks of cholesterol-lowering drugs [28], and ocular changes have been looked for dirring trials with statins. It was originally concluded that cataract does not occur [29]. 

Many randomised studies, some very large, have shown either no association of statins with cataract formation or even a reduced risk. A few studies have suggested an increased risk, but they are mostly retrospective studies and likely to have been subject to confounding. The possibility that drug-drug interactions may be responsible for an increased risk of cataract due to statins has not been well explored. The benefit-to-harm balance of using statins to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease is not vitiated by the current results. 

Smeeth L, Hubbard R, Hetcher AE. Cataract and the use of statins a case-control study. QJM 2003 96 337-43. 

Klein BE, Klein R, Lee KE, Grady LM. Statin use and incident nuclear cataract. JAMA 2006 295 2752-8. 

Tan JS, Mitchell P, RochtchinaE, Wang JJ. Statin use and the long-term risk of incident cataract the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Am J Ophthalmol 2007 143 687-9. 

Fong DS, Poon KY. Recent statin use and cataract surgery. Am J Ophthalmol 2012 153 222-8. 

Kostis JB, Dobrzynski JM. Prevention of cataracts by statins. A meta-analysis. J Cardiovasc Phamacol Ther 2014 19 191-200. 

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