Researchers in a recent study have found that statin use is associated with a higher likelihood of developing glaucoma in adults with hyperlipidemia, even when "bad" cholesterol levels are optimal. This study was published in Ophthalmology Glaucoma journal by Tseng VL and colleagues. This population-based, cross-sectional study of 79,036 patients aged 40 and older in the All of Us Research Program database found that statin use was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of glaucoma.

Statins are majorly consumed for the management of cholesterol levels and for the prevention of heart disease. Prior studies concerning the association between statins and glaucoma were inconsistent. The new study, led by Victoria L. Tseng, MD, PhD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, finds more complex interactions, although some previous studies found a protective effect. The study was undertaken to elucidate the potential relationship between statin use and glaucoma in a diverse population with hyperlipidemia.
This analysis used the 2017 to 2022 data from the AoU Research Program, which included 79,742 participants with hyperlipidemia; 8% of them were taking statins. Their average age was 66.2 years, and 57.3% of them were women, while 64.1% were white. The adjusted odds ratios were used by the researchers comparing glaucoma prevalence of statin users versus statin non-users, stratifying by low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
Results
• The study found that statin use was associated with an increased prevalence of glaucoma compared to non-use (adjusted OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.26).
• When stratifying by LDL-C levels, statin use was significantly associated with glaucoma in participants with optimal (aOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.05-1.82) and high LDL-C levels (aOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.09-1.70).
• A positive association was noted between statin use and glaucoma prevalence in participants aged 60-69 years (aOR 1.28, 95% CI 1.05-1.56).
The results suggest that statin use may be linked to an increased risk for glaucoma; this finding was opposite to the previous views of a protective effect. A positive association was found in the relationship between statin use and glaucoma in different levels of LDL-C and age groups, suggesting that some other latent factors may come into play, which could affect this relation, such as the extent of hyperlipidemia and vascular health.
These findings underline the need for ophthalmologists to take into account cardiovascular status and related medications while estimating glaucoma risk. Information regarding general health factors of the patients, such as statin use, may facilitate an understanding of atypical glaucoma progression. Further studies need to be performed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this association and whether statins per se are associated with increased risk for glaucoma.
This association was positive: statin use increased the prevalence of glaucoma in adults with hyperlipidemia. This result underscores the holistic care of patients to address cardiovascular and ophthalmic factors to better manage and alleviate the risk of developing glaucoma in this population.
Reference:
Lee, S. Y., Paul, M. E., Coleman, A. L., Kitayama, K., Yu, F., Pan, D., & Tseng, V. L. (2024). Associations between statin use and glaucoma in the all of us research program. Ophthalmology. Glaucoma. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogla.2024.07.008