Asthma Drugs May Increase Cataract Risks in Elderly
A Canadian research team while studing data compiled over 14 years from more than 100,000 patients with either asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) discovered that the patients who are taking anti-asthmatic medications to treat their asthma or lung disease may be more likely to develop cataracts.
"We found that people over the age of 65 who take a cortisone-like medication called inhaled corticosteroids to lower their risk of asthma or COPD attacks are actually raising their risk of developing cataracts," study author Dr. Samy Suissa, an epidemiologist at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, said in a prepared statement. "This important information to physicians and patients will help in the management of patients using these drugs."
Of all the patients studied, over 10,000 of them developed severe cataracts.
"We recommend that elderly asthma sufferers keep using these very effective medications, but make efforts to reduce the dose of inhaled corticosteroids as much as possible," Suissa said.
Filed under Eye Treatment
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