Statins like atorvastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin are prescribed in huge quantities. We estimate that over 45 million Americans are taking such cholesterol-lowering drugs every day. Many health professionals believe that these drugs cause few, if any, side effects. We will not discuss muscle pain or weakness in this article. We will ask whether drugs like rosuvastatin cause cataracts or might make glaucoma worse. That’s because of questions from readers.
Will Rosuvastatin Cause Cataracts? Doctors Say No:
Q. After reading that cataracts could be a side effect of Crestor, I asked two of my physicians about it. Both seemed stunned and said they never heard of that side effect. I believe, however, that my sudden onset of cataracts was directly related to the Crestor I’ve been taking to control my cholesterol.
Why Are Doctors Unaware of Statins & Cataracts?
A. It is not surprising that your physicians were unaware of the link between statins like rosuvastatin (Crestor) and cataracts. This eye condition is not listed as a side effect in the official prescribing information for Crestor.
An Early Warning Signal Linking Statins & Cataracts:
Early animal research suggested that dogs and rodents given statins developed cataracts. One scientist noted that the lens of the eye requires cholesterol for normal function and warned about the possibility of cataracts in humans a very long time ago (JAMA, March 27, 1987).
This concern wasn’t confirmed in human studies until 2010. Researchers in the UK analyzed data from general practices treating two million people (BMJ, online, May 20, 2010). This study revealed a surprisingly strong connection between statin use and cataract formation. Canadian researchers reported a 50 percent increased risk of posterior subcapsular cataracts among statin users (Optometry and Vision Science, Aug. 2012).
A study published in the journal Lipids in Health and Disease (Sept. 11, 2024) analyzed data from 27 studies involving kidney transplant patients.
The authors reported that:
“Current evidence concerning cataract comes from 1 retrospective study, which revealed that the risk of cataract increased by 22% among statin-treated kidney transplant recipients. A similar outcome has been estimated in the general population, while animal studies have confirmed the dose-dependent cataractogenic effects of statins. It has been hypothesized that the statin-induced inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis may affect the development of the lens epithelium, which requires a high cholesterol content to preserve its transparency.”
The Cataract Controversy:
Despite the animal and human research, any suggestion that statins such as rosuvastatin cause cataracts is met with a lot of pushback (Journal of the American Heart Association, March 20, 2017). We did, however, find a fascinating article in the journal Nutrients (May 15, 2019).
It was titled:
“Why is Very High Cholesterol Content Beneficial for the Eye Lens but Negative for Other Organs?”
“As for the cataractogenic properties of statins in humans, the scientific community is not in agreement. However, it was reported by many authors that blockage of cholesterol biosynthesis by statins leads [to] the development of cataracts. On the other hand, Mitchell and Cenedella did not observe any lenticular toxic effects from using lovastatin and simvastatin. Unexpectedly, some authors have observed a decreased risk of cataracts in statin users. Similar to Sant-Gerons et al., we believe that the potential protective effect of statins with regard to cataracts is doubtful and contradicts the need for high cholesterol content in the lens. However, further research is required to solve this problem.”
Many physicians believe that the cardiovascular benefits derived from statins outweigh the potential risk of cataracts.
What About Statins and Glaucoma?
We recently heard from a reader who wondered whether a statin such as rosuvastatin could make glaucoma worse:
Q. Is it possible that the rosuvastatin that I have been taking to lower my LDL cholesterol could make my glaucoma worse? My doctor has been tracking rising pressure in my eye for a few years. After taking the statin for a while, I needed to use eyedrops to control my pressure. Is this just a coincidence?
A. This may not be a coincidence. Previous studies have suggested a link between statins and glaucoma. A recent meta-analysis suggests that not all statins are equally likely to lead to glaucoma (Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, Aug. 30, 2024).
Rosuvastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin each increased the risk of glaucoma by about 20 percent, which is statistically significant. Please discuss this with your doctors.
More Research on Glaucoma and Statins:
Investigators did a deep dive into the “All of Us (AoU) Research Program.” It involved 79,742 patients with elevated lipid levels. Roughly 8% (6,365 individuals) were taking statins.
The researchers reported that:
“Statin use was associated with increased glaucoma prevalence when compared with statin nonuse.”
“Findings suggest that statin use may be an independent risk factor for glaucoma, which may furthermore be affected by one’s lipid profile and age.”
The authors acknowledge that other studies have not found an association, and add:
“Our study adds to the conflicting literature by finding that statin use was associated with increased glaucoma likelihood in the large and diverse AoU population.”
Other Readers Report In:
Avril in West Point, Virginia shares this experience:
“In November my cataracts were progressing very slowly. My eye doctor told me that at this slow rate he expected that I wouldn’t need to ever have surgery.
“I am 75. After taking atorvastatin and fluoxetine for three month, I now need cataract surgery. My fibromyalgia is out of control and I am experiencing extreme fatigue and weakness with little exertion. I have had controlled Fibromyalgia for many years, but the weakness and fatigue is new since taking these 2 drugs.”
Nancy in Arlington Heights, Illinois loves TV commercials with side effects:
“I liked the comment ‘when I mentioned to my M.D. that there could be a link with cataracts and statins, the doctor had a ‘deer in the headlight’ look and just shrugged.’ What is it with doctors that they just push all kinds of pills at us for every ailment? I have never had one that mentioned the side effects and if I have a problem they just tell me that its better than having a stroke.
“I think the commercials for medications on TV are a good thing. Most of the time there is mention that the side effects seem to be worse than the drug. I have stayed away from statins but I do take nasty blood pressure medication. I try to eat right and exercise but it’s not enough. I wish there were some better options than the drugs.”
J.N. went back in history and notes:
“When statins were first introduced into medicine it was recommended in the Mevacor package insert to have annual checkup for cataracts so this is NOT NEW.”
J.N. is quite right…but the warning disappeared and most health professionals forgot it was ever there. Physicians who have graduated from medical school in the last 20 years have probably never heard about this issue.
Here is a more in-depth review of the question:
Statins and Cataracts: Why Did It Take So Long to Uncover This Connection?
Do Statins like Rosuvastatin Cause Cataracts or Glaucoma?
Many physicians have a hard time accepting the possibility that statins can cause side effects. That puzzles us. Every medicine we know of carries the possibility of causing problems for some people. Judging from our email, that is absolutely true for statin-type medications.
Because both cataracts and glaucoma are common, it is easy to chalk such complaints up to getting older. But there is research to support a possible association between statins and both eye conditions. Needless to say, no one should ever stop any medication without discussing the situation with the prescribing physician!
We would like to hear from you. Please share your experience with statins in the comment section below. If you think this article has merit, please share it with friends or family members. Thank you for supporting our work.
