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Statin Drugs Cause Eye Disorders
Sherry Baker
NaturalNews
Thursday, Dec 11, 2008
Want to lower cholesterol levels in hopes of preventing coronary
heart disease and stroke? The odds are your doctor will probably
prescribe a statin drug. In fact, a recent Forbes report found
that from 11 million to 30 million Americans are already taking
these drugs and many physicians argue another 25 million should
be popping these pills daily. What's often lost in the hype about
this class of drugs is the reality of the side effects –
sometimes serious – associated with statins, including muscle
pain, neurological disorders, rashes and liver problems.
Now comes word of yet another downside to these supposedly "magic
bullets" for artery clogging cholesterol. A new study led
by F.W. Fraunfelder, MD, of the Casey Eye Institute of Oregon
Health and Science University, is the first to systematically
report on eye disorders caused by statin use. The results are
published in the December issue of Ophthalmology, the journal
of the American Academy of Ophthalmology,
Dr. Fraunfelder's group analyzed reports of double vision (diplopia),
drooping of the upper eyelid (ptosis), and loss of full range
of motion of the eyes (ophthalmoplegia) in people taking statins.
Because statins are already known to cause skeletal muscle disorders
in some patients, the scientists reasoned that a similar impact
of the drugs on eye muscles was most likely the reason for the
eye problems.
(ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW)
They used databases of the National Registry of Drug-Induced
Ocular Side Effects, the World Health Organization, and the Food
and Drug Administration to document the case reports, which included
143 males, 91 females, and 22 persons with gender unspecified.
The average age of the patients was 64.5 years and the dose of
statins those with eye disorders took was within the normal range
recommended by drug manufacturers. On average, they took the drugs
for only 8.3 months before they began to develop an adverse reaction
affecting their eyes.
In all, the researchers found 23 cases of loss of eye range of
motion, 8 cases of ptosis, and 18 cases of ptosis combined with
double vision. The good news: These eye disorders completely went
away in all patients when statins were discontinued.
"We advise physicians prescribing statins to be aware that
these eye disorders may result, and that medications should be
discontinued if so," Dr. Fraunfelder concluded in a statement
to the media. "When a patient has one of these eye disorders,
he should be rigorously evaluated to determine the cause, and
statin use should be taken into account."
The recent Forbes report on the statin industry revealed the
drugs generated $34 billion in sales last year and have raked
in a quarter of a trillion dollars since they were introduced
about 20 years ago. The drugs are currently being increasingly
pushed to a wider population, including children. The American
Academy of Pediatrics recently recommended some children as young
as eight should be aggressively treated with cholesterol-lowering
statins, despite the fact there are no long-term studies showing
the drugs are safe and effective for children.
Instead of focusing on a quick medication fix if you or your
children have elevated cholesterol, consider that lifestyle changes
can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke
– without the potentially dangerous side effects of drugs.
According to the Mayo Clinic's web site, not smoking, eating a
healthy diet, getting daily exercise and managing stress are examples
of lifestyle changes that will improve cholesterol, as well as
most all of the other risk factors for heart disease. In fact,
the Mayo Clinic notes that lifestyle changes may have a greater
impact on reducing risk of heart disease and stroke than medication.
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