Let me count the ways.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
As I stumbled upon yet another study denigrating statins, I could not help but paraphrase one of the few lines of poetry that I recall. Statins, how can you hurt me? Let me count the ways. Well, 1) liver toxicity has been known since time immemorial although the Food & Drug Administration recently down graded the need for periodic monitoring. On the other hand, statins' well known risk for 2) myalgias remains. More recently, the FDA revised the labeling for statins, taking into account a statistically significant increase in 3) diabetes while acknowledging reports of 4) cognitive dysfunction. Most recently, there was also talk that statins have been associated w/5) fatigue in women.
So perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised to find a cohort study published in this month's Optometry & Vision Science in which the authors concluded that statin use was linked to an increased risk of cataracts (already a known complication of diabetes). Granted, we already know that diabetes is associated with cataract formation. But after comparing 452 w/diabetes to 5,884 w/o diabetes, the authors noted that statin use was independently associated w/cataract formation.
What do we do w/this new tidbit of information? Well, consider the source. It's not a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial demonstrating causation but rather an observational study demonstrating correlation. On the other hand, you might look at all the side effects we're just now finding out about statins after several decades of use. A good rule of thumb: don't take a medication unless your potential benefit exceeds risk of side effects & harm. In the meantime, let's hope the count stops here.
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