(Press-News.org) Cataracts are the leading cause of visual impairment worldwide affecting more than 20 million people. Statins are among the most commonly prescribed medications. In the USA they are prescribed to 1 in 3 people over 45 years of age at a cost of $35 billion annually.
Professor Kostis said: "There is persistent concern among physicians and other health care providers about the possible cataractogenicity of statins.1 We therefore investigated the relationship of statins and cataracts in a meta-analysis of 14 studies selected after detailed review of the medical literature. To our knowledge this is the first meta-analysis on the topic."
The meta-analysis included 2,399,200 persons and 25,618 cataracts. The average duration of treatment was 54 months and average age was 61.
Using random effects meta-analysis, a statistically significant decrease in cataracts with statins was observed (odds ratios [OR] 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.83, p END
Statins prevent cataracts
2013-08-31
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