Statin use and incident nuclear cataract.
BACKGROUND
Statins are widely prescribed for their lipid-lowering effects but also have putative antioxidant properties. Oxidative stress is believed to play a role in the development of nuclear cataract, but little is known regarding the relationship of statin use and cataract incidence.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship of use of statins and incident cataract in adults in a midwestern community in the United States.


METHODS
The Beaver Dam Eye Study, an observational, longitudinal, population-based study of age-related eye disease in Beaver Dam, Wis. There were 1299 persons who were seen at the third examination in 1998-2000, had gradable photographs in both eyes, and were deemed to be at risk of developing nuclear cataract within 5 years.


METHODS
Five-year incidence of cataract with respect to statin use. Cataracts were graded from photographs taken through the participant's dilated pupil.


RESULTS
A total of 210 persons developed incident nuclear cataract in the interval from 1998-2000 to 2003-2005. Five-year incidence of nuclear cataract was 12.2% in statin users compared with 17.2% in nonusers (odds ratio [OR], 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.84), controlling for age. When only never smokers without diabetes were assessed, the age-, lipid level-, and sex-adjusted OR was 0.40 (95% CI, 0.18-0.90). Five-year incidence of cortical cataract was 9.9% in statin users and 7.5% in nonusers (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.79-2.08); posterior subcapsular cataract occurred in 3.0% of statin users and 3.4% of nonusers (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.39-1.71).


CONCLUSIONS
Statin use in a general population appears to be associated with lower risk of nuclear cataract, the most common type of age-related cataract.
Klein
Barbara E K
BE
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53726, USA. kleinb@epi.ophth.wisc.edu
Klein
Ronald
R
Lee
Kristine E
KE
Grady
Lisa M
LM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors