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
You may also like to read
- Inform Eye Doctors About Prostate Drugs Before Eye Surgery
- 20 elderly person receives the gift of sight through free cataract surgery campaign
- Outcome of cataract surgery everyone must know
- Corticosteroid May Increase Risk of Developing Cataracts
- Is Lasik Surgery the Right Treatment for You
- Cuban government is offering free cataract surgery
- Cataract Surgery Initiative Running Ahead of Target
- Innovative ophthalmic lens support system increase the success rate of cataract surgery
- Alabama based researcher to make contact lens able to deliver drugs into eyes
- Couple Forced to Choose Which One of Them Should Go Blind
