“Statins” like Lipitor or Zocor may do more than lower your cholesterol—a new Australian study shows that over 3, 500 older adults who took these drugs had almost a 50 percent reduced risk of cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eyes. The results held up after they team took into account age, gender, and other existing risk factors for cataracts. Researchers believe that oxidative stress (the process of highly reactive molecules interacting with cells and damaging genes, proteins, and membranes) plays a role in the development of cataracts and since statins have antioxidants, it is thought that they can protect against this age-related eye disease.
