Statins Do Not Decrease the Risk for Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of statins on the risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT). Methods: All members in one district of a health maintenance organization in Israel, older than 50 years (n = 139,894), were included. PDT procedures for AMD (775 procedures; 283 patients) and filled statin prescriptions between 1999 and 2002 (471,232 prescriptions; 29,417 patients) were documented. Results: For all age groups, PDT was more prevalent in statin users. Among statin users, the age adjusted proportion of patients undergoing PDT for wet AMD was 0.27% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.20–0.34%), compared to 0.16% (95% CI: 0.14–0.18%) among non-users (p = 0.002, χ²test, relative risk = 1.66 (95% CI: 1.29–2.19)). After correction for age, gender, socioeconomic status, place of birth, place of residence, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure, statins did not have any additional effect on the risk for undergoing PDT for wet AMD. In a case control analysis, statin use in PDT patients was similar to their use by matched controls (odds ratio = 1.0; 95% CI = 0.8–1.3). Conclusions: This study does not support a beneficial effect of statin use for reducing the risk for wet AMD requiring PDT.

Keywords:

• age-related macular degeneration
• atherosclerosis
• choroidal neovascularization
• photodynamic therapy
• statins