Statins may be able to serve as an effective treatment for dry AMD, according to latest research findings.
Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School and the University of Crete have conducted a phase I/II clinical trial on the efficacy of statins for the treatment of patients with dry AMD.
Researchers found treatment with high-dose atorvastatin (80mg) was associated with regression of lipid deposits and improvement in visual acuity, without progression to advanced disease, in high-risk AMD patients.
The findings were published in online journal EBioMedicine.
‘We found that intensive doses of statins carry the potential for clearing up the lipid debris that can lead to vision impairment in a subset of patients with macular degeneration,’ said Joan W Miller, the Henry Willard Williams professor and chair of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and chief of ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital. ‘We hope that this promising preliminary clinical trial will be the foundation for an effective treatment for millions of patients afflicted with AMD.’