Statin drugs for cholesterol may help macular degeneration

Study results from a phase I/II clinical trial at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard University evaluating the efficacy of statins as a treatment for patients with the dry form of macular degeneration offer hope for those suffering from the disease. High doses of atorvastatin lessened the number of drusen deposits within the eye and prevented the onset of neovascular AMD. The clinical study involved 26 patients diagnosed with the dry form of macular degeneration and who had several large, soft drusen deposits. At the end of a twelve month follow-up period, twenty-three participants had fewer drusen and gained +3.3 letters in visual acuity and none of them progressed to the wet form of the disease. These initial findings seem to affirm the correlation between lipids, macular degeneration and atherosclerosis and larger studies will be needed to confirm the study results.*