Statins do not decrease the risk for wet age-related macular degeneration.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of statins on the risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT).


METHODS
All members in one district of a health maintenance organization in Israel, older than 50 years (n = 139,894), were included. PDT procedures for AMD (775 procedures; 283 patients) and filled statin prescriptions between 1999 and 2002 (471,232 prescriptions; 29,417 patients) were documented.


RESULTS
For all age groups, PDT was more prevalent in statin users. Among statin users, the age adjusted proportion of patients undergoing PDT for wet AMD was 0.27% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.20-0.34%), compared to 0.16% (95% CI: 0.14-0.18%) among non-users (p = 0.002, chi2 test, relative risk = 1.66 (95% CI: 1.29-2.19)). After correction for age, gender, socioeconomic status, place of birth, place of residence, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure, statins did not have any additional effect on the risk for undergoing PDT for wet AMD. In a case control analysis, statin use in PDT patients was similar to their use by matched controls (odds ratio = 1.0; 95% CI = 0.8-1.3).


CONCLUSIONS
This study does not support a beneficial effect of statin use for reducing the risk for wet AMD requiring PDT.
Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. nadia.kaiserman@gmail.com
Nadia
N
Kaiserman
Shlomo
S
Vinker
Igor
I
Kaiserman
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D018570:Risk Assessment
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors