US study finds reduced glaucoma risk in patients taking statins

People who take statins to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease are less likely to be diagnosed with the most common form of glaucoma, according to a U. S. study conducted among more than 300,000 patients. A University of Michigan School of Medicine research team, directed by Joshua Stin, found that the risk for glaucoma was reduced by eight percent in patients who took statins continuously for two years, compared with patients who did not take statins. The study was published on Monday in the October issue of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "Statins' apparent ability to reduce glaucoma risk may be due to several factors, including improved blood flow to the optic nerve and retinal nerve cells and enhanced outflow of the aqueous fluid, which may reduce intraocular pressure," said Stein. "While more research is needed, we hope our results may contribute to saving the sight of thousands who are predisposed to glaucoma." Glaucoma affects more than 2.7 million Americans aged 40 and older. If untreated, glaucoma causes vision loss or blindness by damaging the eye's optic nerve. The optic nerve sends signals from the retina -- a layer of light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye -- to the brain, where these signals are interpreted as the images people see. Only about half of the people who have glaucoma know it, since symptoms are rarely noticed in the early stages and vision loss is very gradual in most cases.