A Good Statin Side Effect

There are three sorts of cataract – nuclear (in the center of the lens), cortical (towards the edge), and subcapsular (at the back). Nuclear is most common, and associated with aging. A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association describes the occurrence of nuclear cataracts in a population of people from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Out of 1300 people, over a 5-year period, 210 developed nuclear cataracts. The incidence was 12.2% in statin users compared with 17.2% in non-statin users – a statistically significant difference.

There’s a possible explanation, according to the researchers. Statins, in addition to their lipid-lowering effects, may also be antioxidants. And oxidative stress is known to be involved in the development of age-related nuclear cataracts.

It’s nice when a drug’s side effects turn out to be positive, rather than negative. Maybe we should reserve the term ‘side effects’ for beneficial effects, and use ‘adverse events’ for bad side effects.