Researchers at University of Basel Have Reported New Data on Cataracts (Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, other antidepressant medication, and risk of cataract: a case-control study based on Swiss claims data)

2020 JUN 23 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on Eye Diseases and Conditions - Cataracts have been published. According to news reporting out of Basel, Switzerland, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Three previous studies reported controversial results regarding selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) exposure and cataract development. We therefore aimed to assess risk of cataract associated with previous exposure to SSRI using data from a large health insurance in Switzerland.”

Financial support for this research came from Helsana Health Group.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Basel, “In a case-control study, we analyzed individuals insured by the Helsana Group, a large Swiss health insurance provider. We matched patients aged 40 years or older with cataract extraction (i.e., a proxy for a cataract diagnosis) in 2014 or 2015 to four control patients, on age, sex, date of cataract extraction, and area of residence. Exposure of interest was the number of SSRI claims prior to cataract extraction. We conducted conditional logistic regression analyses to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We adjusted our analyses for the presence of hypertension, diabetes, glaucoma, systemic steroid use, and use of other antidepressant drugs. We identified 13,773 cataract cases and 51,625 matched controls. Compared with non-use, long-term use of SSRI (20 claims) was not associated with an altered risk of cataract (adjusted OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.84-1.04). The analysis of the individual drug substances also yielded no statistically significant association between drug exposure and the risk of cataract.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “According to our study, use of SSRI does not change the risk of cataract in the overall population.”

For more information on this research see: Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, other antidepressant medication, and risk of cataract: a case-control study based on Swiss claims data. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2020;():. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology can be contacted at: Springer, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA. (Springer - www.springer.com; European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology - http://www.springerlink.com/content/0031-6970/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting M. Schwenkglenks, Institute of Pharmaceutical Medicine (ECPM), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Additional authors for this research include C. Becker, M. Frueh, O. Reich and C.R Meier.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-020-02923-y. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology is: Springer, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)