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
Stein, 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.
Xinhua.net
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