The Effect of Statins on Intraocular Pressure and on the Incidence and Progression of Glaucoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to evaluate the effect of oral statins on intraocular pressure (IOP) and the incidence and progression of glaucoma.

METHODS: This was a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis. Searches of PubMed/Medline and Embase were conducted to include all types of studies. Gray literature abstracts were also considered for inclusion. Last search date was February 2016. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale independently by two reviewers. Odds ratios (OR) or hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were extracted from each study. Pooled ORs for incidence of glaucoma were calculated using a random-effects model.

RESULTS: We identified seven cohort studies, three case-control studies, and one cross-sectional study with a total number of 583,615 participants. No randomized controlled trials were retrieved. Pooled ORs demonstrated a statistically significant association between short-term statin use (≤2 years) and reduced incidence of glaucoma (OR 0.96, 95%CI 0.94, 0.99). Pooled ORs of long-term statin use (>2 years) did not demonstrate statistically significant reduction in incidence of glaucoma (OR 0.70, 95%CI 0.46, 1.06). There was inconsistent evidence for the protective effect of statins against the progression of glaucoma, although there was no standard definition for progression across studies. There was no significant difference in IOP associated with statin use.

CONCLUSIONS: Short-term statin use is associated with a reduced incidence of glaucoma. The effect of statins on glaucoma progression and IOP is uncertain.