According to a Reuters Health report, taking a 'statin' cholesterol-lowering drug may be good for the eyes as well as the heart.
People who take statins such as Zocor or Lipitor, for example, have a 45 percent reduced risk of developing a cataract, a clouding of the lens of the eye, according to a report in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.
The researchers analyzed data on 1299 subjects who participated in the Beaver Dam Eye Study, a population-based study that focused on age-related eye disease.
The subjects were considered to be at risk for developing cataracts and were evaluated between 1998 and 2000, and between 2003 and 2005. All of the participants had ocular photographs taken of both eyes.
During follow-up, 210 subjects developed a cataract. The 5-year rate of cataract occurrence among statin users was 12.2 percent, significantly lower than the 17.2 percent rate noted in those who did not take a statin.
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