Association of statin use with the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) prevent the development of diabetic retinopathy. METHODS We conducted a nested case-control study among patients at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama. Within a study population of male diabetic patients (n=6441), we identified incident cases of diabetic retinopathy diagnosed between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2001 (n=114). Control subjects were selected using incidence density sampling and were matched for diabetes duration. Information regarding filled statin prescriptions was obtained for cases and controls. RESULTS Cases and controls did not differ regarding overall statin use in crude analysis (odds ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.64-1.59) and in multivariate analyses adjusted for age, race, and coexisting medical conditions (odds ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.60-1.67). CONCLUSION The results of this study do not support an association between statins and diabetic retinopathy.