The Effect of Atorvastatin on the Human Lens After 52 Weeks of Treatment

BACKGROUND: The effect of atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor, Parke-Davis, Morris Plains, NJ) on the crystalline lenses of hypercholesterolemic patients was evaluated and compared with that of lovastatin after 52 weeks of treatment to reduce cholesterol levels. METHODS AND RESULTS: Six hundred ninety-six atorvastatin-treated and 235 lovastatin-treated patients completed a large safety study that included an ophthalmologic examination. Efficacy was evaluated as mean percent change from baseline in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Patients received atorvastatin, 10 or 20 mg, or lovastatin, 20 or 40 mg, once daily for either 36 or 52 weeks. Patients were evaluated by slit-lamp examination, and a standardized format was used to describe the findings. Best corrected visual acuity was measured using the Snellen chart. Patients treated with atorvastatin had significantly (P