People using cholesterol-lowering drugs may be at an increased risk of developing age-related cataracts, a new study has claimed.
Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada found that the additional risk of cataracts in statin drug users appears similar to that associated with type 2 diabetes.
The study involved nearly 6,400 patients, 452 of these patients had type 2 diabetes.
Statin treatment and diabetes were evaluated as possible risk factors for age-related cataracts.
Fifty-six per cent of patients with type 2 diabetes were taking statins, compared to 16 per cent of those without diabetes.
Both diabetes and statin use were significantly associated with an increased rate of age-related cataracts.
