American Journal of Ophthalmology · Nov 7, 2026

Statin Use and Age-related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Disease Outcomes

By Magalhães PLM, Rassi T, Amaral DC et al.

Topic This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the association between statin use and the prevalence, incidence, and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Clinical Relevance AMD is a major cause of vision loss in older adults, many of whom receive statins for cardiovascular prevention. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library through October 2025 for randomized trials and cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies with comparators. We assessed risk of bias with tools appropriate to each design and pooled effect measures separately using random-effects models. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO. Results Twenty-eight studies included 1,918,120 participants. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) for the prevalence of any, early, and late AMD were 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-1.24), 1.10 (95% CI, 0.92-1.31), and 0.75 (95% CI, 0.46-1.25), respectively. For incidence of any AMD, the pooled hazard ratio (HR) was 1.04 (95% CI, 0.82-1.31) and the OR was 0.76 (95% CI, 0.43-1.34), with substantial heterogeneity. For neovascular AMD incidence, different study subsets suggested lower hazard (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.60-0.85) and higher risk (risk ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.18-1.44); the OR was inconclusive (0.93; 95% CI, 0.82-1.05). Progression evidence was limited and heterogeneous. Ten of 12 longitudinal nonrandomized studies had serious overall risk of bias. Conclusion The evidence was of very low certainty and insufficient to establish a protective or harmful effect of statins on AMD. These findings do not support prescribing statins specifically for AMD or discontinuing otherwise indicated therapy.

doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2026.11.005PubMed 42998694Interventions