Cholesterol-lowering drugs cut glaucoma risk

Cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins appear to reduce the risk of developing the most common type of glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, researchers said on Monday.

Statins, which are prescribed for heart patients to reduce how much cholesterol the body makes, have previously been shown to cut the risk of age-related macular degeneration, a condition that affects the eye's retina that is the leading cause of blindness in most industrialized countries.

The latest study, published in the June issue of The Archives of Ophthalmology, compared a group of men over age 50 diagnosed with glaucoma with a group that had not been diagnosed and found a significant reduction in risk when cholesterol-fighting drugs had been used over a long period.

The drugs were found to reduce the incidence of open-angle glaucoma, in which the eye's drainage canals become clogged and pressure builds in the eyeball, causing damage to the optic nerve.

Open-angle glaucoma afflicts roughly 3 million Americans, half of whom are undiagnosed and may not know they have it. Glaucoma robs people of sight with little warning and, while it can be treated with medications and surgery in early stages, there is no cure once blindness sets in.

All types of cholesterol-lowering drugs, including statins, appeared to help reduce the incidence of open-angle glaucoma, said study author Gerald McGwin of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Recent research has also indicated long-term use of statins may also prevent various forms of cancer, including prostate and colon cancer, though the drugs have not been approved for such use.