JAN 04, 2010
Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Retina/Vitreous
Data from the Complications of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Prevention Trial shows that use of the cholesterol-lowering medications among patients with bilateral drusen was not associated with a higher or lower risk of progressing to advanced disease (RR 1.15, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.52).
This study adds to a growing list of epidemiological studies that have failed to show a protective effect from statins. Overall, 32.5 percent of the patients developed advanced disease in at least one eye. More than one-fifth (22.5 percent) of the patients' eyes were affected, the researchers reported.
Choroidal neovascularization afflicted 23.7 percent of the patients. Geographic atrophy was present in 10.8 percent.
In multivariate analyses, statin use had no effect on the risk of developing advanced disease or either of the two disease components. The risk ratios for the patients' eyes were:
- 1.15 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.52) for advanced AMD
- 1.35 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.83) for choroidal neovascularization
- 0.80 (95% CI 0.46 to 1.39) for geographic atrophy