Use of sun-sensitizing medications appears to interact with exposure to the sun’s UV rays and the two factors combine to significantly increase the risk of developing cataracts.
That’s the finding of a long-term retrospective study conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
The researchers examined the relationship between the use of sun-sensitizing medications — including commonly prescribed anti-depressant, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medicines — and the occurrence of age-related cataract among a population of more than 2,000 Wisconsin residents over a 15-year period.
Sun exposure was estimated from the residential history of adults in the community of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Medication history was reported at each examination, and cataract presence was determined by photographs of the lens inside the eye.
When considered separately, sun exposure and the use of sun-sensitizing medications did not appear to increase the risk of cataracts, compared with an age- and sex-matched control population. However, the combination of increased sun exposure and the use of sun-sensitizing medications resulted in a statistically significant increase in the risk of a specific type of age-related cataract called a cortical cataract.
Use of hats with brims or use of sunglasses for at least half the time spent outdoors did not appear to decrease the added risk of cataracts among the study group.
(The study authors noted, however, that data regarding use of hats and sunglasses were obtained from only about half of the study population, and that they could not assess the effect of this association on the entire population.)
The researchers said additional study of other populations is needed to confirm the finding of the study, and that if the finding is confirmed, it may have important implications for future medication use.
SOURCE: Selected sun-sensitizing medications and incident cataract. Archives of Ophthalmology. Published online June 14, 2010.
Tags: sun exposure, sun-sensitizing medications, Ultraviolet (UV) radiation