Cataracts From Statins? More Signals Emerge in Analyses

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Northerner

Admin (Retired)
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Statin therapy significantly elevates the risk of developing cataracts severe enough to warrant surgery, suggests analyses of two distinct cohorts, one from Canada and another from the US, that add to a hazy landscape of prior studies variously concluding for or against such a risk for the widely used drugs[1].

For now, the possibility of such a risk from statins and its potential mechanisms should be explored in prospective trials, "especially in light of increased statin use for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and the importance of acceptable vision in old age, when cardiovascular disease is common," according to the report, published in the December 2014 issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology with lead author Dr Stephanie J Wise (University of British Columbia, Vancouver).

"However, because the relative risk is low and because cataract surgery is effective and well tolerated, this association should be disclosed but not be considered a deterrent to use of statins when warranted for cardiovascular risk reduction," they write.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/836293

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Possibly another reason for not overmedicating people?
 
I wonder if that's why I've got them starting? We are already at greater risk just by being diabetic - I'd rather drop dead from a heart attack than be blind, frankly.
 
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