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Statin therapy and cataract in type 2 diabetes
M P Hermans1, S A Ahn, M F Rousseau
1Service d'endocrinologie et nutrition, cliniques universitaires St.-Luc, Bruxelles, Belgium. michel.hermans@diab.ucl.ac.be
Diabetes & Metabolism
|December 15, 2010
Summary
Statin use in type 2 diabetes patients did not increase cataract risk. This study found no link between statins and cataract prevalence in this high-risk group, suggesting benefits outweigh potential ocular side effects.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Endocrinology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Recent reports suggest statin use may increase cataract risk in the general population.
- Cataract is a common comorbidity in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, who frequently use statins for cardiovascular prevention.
- This study investigated the association between statin use and cataract prevalence in T2D patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if statin use is associated with increased cataract prevalence in T2D patients.
- To assess if T2D patients with cataract use statins or other lipid-lowering drugs more frequently.
- To evaluate potential ocular side effects of statin therapy in a high-risk diabetic population.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of 780 type 2 diabetes outpatients (mean age 64 ± 12 years, diabetes duration 13 ± 9 years).
- Cataract diagnosed in 16.8% of patients; diabetic retinopathy (DR) in 23%.
- Comparison of age, diabetes duration, HbA1c, and lipid-lowering drug use between patients with and without cataract.
Main Results:
- Patients with cataract were significantly older (75 ± 9 vs 62 ± 11 years) and had longer diabetes duration (20 ± 11 vs 12 ± 8 years) (P < 0.0001).
- Statin, fibrate, or ezetimibe use did not differ between cataract and no-cataract groups.
- Cataract prevalence was not higher in statin users (435 patients) versus non-users (345 patients).
Conclusions:
- Chronic statin therapy was not found to be cataractogenic in this large, high-risk T2D population.
- Cataract presence was not associated with increased use of statins or other lipid-lowering drugs.
- The cardiovascular benefits of statin therapy in T2D likely outweigh any potential, unsupported ocular side effects.
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