Harvard Health Content API

People who take statin drugs to lower cholesterol may be more likely to develop cataracts, a large new study finds. Previous research has had mixed results. Some studies found a higher risk of cataract for people who took statins. Others found a lower risk. The new study included two groups of veterans, both men and women. The first part of the study focused on 14,000 veterans. Half took statins. They were compared with others who did not take statins but were otherwise similar. Each person was assigned a score based on age, diabetes, smoking and many other factors. The factors were chosen because they could affect people’s risk of having cataracts or needing to take statins. Researchers compared people with similar scores. Those who took statins were 9% more likely to have cataracts than those who didn’t take statins.