Harvard Medical School researchers found regular statin use reduces the risk of developing primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), while higher cholesterol increases it.

Using cholesterol-lowering statins was linked with a 15% lower risk of POAG, while using statins for five years or more had 21% lower risk compared with those who had never used the medication. The study tracked data from 136,782 participants aged over 40, with 886 POAG cases identified. Published in JAMA Ophthalmology, it also found for every 20 mg/dL increase in total serum cholesterol there was a 7% increase in POAG risk.