Could Taking Statins for Heart Disease Increase Your Risk for Cataracts?

A new study shows that those taking statins for heart disease could increase their risk of developing cataracts by up to 27 percent.

According to researchers from Oxford University, after reviewing medical data of 14,000 people over an eight year period, their findings showed a 27 percent increase in the risk even after account for other factors that may cause cataracts.

Particularly among older individuals, researchers noted that the most vulnerable participants based on an analysis showed that the majority of patients with cataracts, in which the eyes opacity requires surgery in order to prevent blindness, were statin users.

Researchers further examined 27 statin trials that involved 175,000 people who were at a low risk for heart problems. As previous studies have shown that statin drugs lessin the risk of strokes, heart attacks and operations in which arteries are unclogged, the positive effects of the drug often outweigh the possible side-effects, which also include the lowering of high cholesterol levels.

"This study found statin use to be associated with an increased risk for cataract," Dr. Jessica Leuschen of San Antonio Military medical Center, Texas, via the Daily Mail. "Weighing the benefit-risk ratio of statin use, specifically for primary prevention, should be carefully considered."

And besides their link to cataracts, previous studies have also suggested that statin use can increase the risk of constipation, diarrhea, headaches, appetite loss and type 2 Diabetes.

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found online journal JAMA Ophthalmology.