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Cholesterol lowering drugs may prevent degenerative eye disease (macular degeneration)
August 14, 2003Statins, the drugs used to lower blood cholesterol, may help prevent the degenerative eye disease known as age related maculopathy or macular degeneration, finds research in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Macular degeneration is a major cause of irreversible visual impairment among adults in the UK and USA. Sufferers do not go blind, but find it virtually impossible to read, drive, or do tasks requiring fine, sharp, central vision.
It is caused by the progressive break down of light sensitive cells in the macula, located in the centre of the retina at the back of the eye. Risk increases with age, and as yet there is no effective curative or preventive treatment. Smokers are thought to be more susceptible.
US researchers assessed 550 people newly diagnosed with macular degeneration and 5500 randomly selected people at one veterans’ medical facility between 1997 and 2001. All those taking part in the study were aged 50 or older.
All those with macular degeneration were significantly more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure, or vascular disease, but there were no differences between them and the comparison group in terms of arterial disease or lipid metabolism disorders.
An overview of the drugs they had been prescribed showed that those with macular degeneration were 50% less likely to have been prescribed statins than those without. This was irrespective of whether patients were taking statins at the time or had taken them in the past, or what other medical conditions they had. The association was not found for sole use of other types of cholesterol lowering drugs.
The authors caution that these are preliminary findings, and that a further long term trial is needed to investigate the effectiveness of statins in the treatment and prevention of macular degeneration.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
US researchers assessed 550 people newly diagnosed with macular degeneration and 5500 randomly selected people at one veterans’ medical facility between 1997 and 2001. All those taking part in the study were aged 50 or older.
All those with macular degeneration were significantly more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure, or vascular disease, but there were no differences between them and the comparison group in terms of arterial disease or lipid metabolism disorders.
An overview of the drugs they had been prescribed showed that those with macular degeneration were 50% less likely to have been prescribed statins than those without. This was irrespective of whether patients were taking statins at the time or had taken them in the past, or what other medical conditions they had. The association was not found for sole use of other types of cholesterol lowering drugs.
The authors caution that these are preliminary findings, and that a further long term trial is needed to investigate the effectiveness of statins in the treatment and prevention of macular degeneration.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
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