Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the effect of statin use on subsequent uveitis development.
Methods: :
A case-control study was performed on patients from the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center (BVAMC) with a new diagnosis of uveitis occurring between 1997 and 2001, age-matched to non-uveitis controls. Patient data was reviewed for prior use of statin medications and selected systemic conditions. ICD-9 codes specific to uveitis were used to identify 92 incident cases of uveitis. These were matched 1:10 to control patients.Statistical analysis was performed to determine odds ratios for the incidence of uveitis between statin users and non-users, correlated with the duration of use of statin medications.
Results: :
The use of statin medications was associated with a trend toward a 50% reduction in the risk of development of uveitis (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.20-1.23). This association was present among both current (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.15-1.46) and past (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.18-1.67) statin users. Increasing duration of use was associated with greater reductions in risk, although not statistically significant.
Conclusions: :
The use of statin medications was associated with a 50% reduced risk of uveitis. Future clinical studies may provide direct evidence of the effectiveness of statins in lowering the incidence and complications of uveitis.
Keywords: inflammation • autoimmune disease • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence