Corticosteroids increase risk of cataract

A study carried out at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, has shown that high doses of corticosteroids for controlling asthma attacks increase the risk of cataract by 70%.

Once they enter the bloodstream and the lymphatic system, the steroids damage the collagen fibers and contribute to crystalline lens opacity and the onset of cataract.

Liam Smeeth examined 30 thousand people over the age of 40, half of whom had had cataract and the other half not, and compared the data with the frequency of corticosteroid use: of those who had had cataract, 11.4% had used inhalers and 117 in high doses; in the second group, only 7.6% had used inhalers and only 43 people in high doses.

Amongst those who had used inhalers, posterior subcapsular cataract was the most frequent form, affecting the closest area behind the eye and the cause of considerable sight problems.

The experts therefore advise those suffering from asthma to consult their doctor and check if lower doses of corticosteroids can be prescribed, given that it is not possible to suspend the treatment.

(Source: Ansa)