Abstract
Introduction: Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment in the world. Statins, primarily through their lipid-lowering effects, have been suggested to play a potential role in influencing the incidence of glaucoma. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the relationship between statins and the risk of developing glaucoma.
Materials and Methods: This investigation adhered to PRISMA guidelines and employed systematic review and meta-analysis methodologies. The databases Cochrane, ProQuest, PubMed, Web of Science, and the search engine Google Scholar were searched up to March 4, 2024. STATA 14 software was used to analyze the data, and statistical significance was determined at P<0.05.
Results: The findings indicated no statistically significant association between statin consumption and the incidence of glaucoma overall (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.92, 1.02). The lack of statistical significance persisted across different study designs, including case-control research (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.02), cross-sectional studies (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.81, 1.19), and cohort studies (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.79, 1.06). Furthermore, the association between specific statins, including simvastatin (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.98, 1.10), lovastatin (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.76, 1.03), pravastatin (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.15), fluvastatin (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.86, 1.28), atorvastatin (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.94, 1.15), and rosuvastatin (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.11), and the incidence of glaucoma was not statistically significant. However, a reduced risk of glaucoma was observed among individuals aged 60 to 69 years (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82, 0.97) and in specific geographical regions, notably the United States (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.88, 0.96) and the Netherlands (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.82).
Conclusion: Statin consumption in individuals aged 60-69 years and in the United States and the Netherlands reduced the risk of developing glaucoma.
Registration: This study has been compiled based on the PRISMA checklist, and its protocol was registered on the PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024521496) and Research Registry (UIN: reviewregistry1909) website.