Steroids Blog

A cataract is a clouding that develops in the eye. It may develop in the crystalline lens or in its envelope. There different types of cataract. Among those are congenital cataracts and secondary cataracts. Under secondary cataracts is a type known as drug-induced cataract. This type is usually due to corticosteroids use.

A population-based study was recently conducted by the Centre for Vision Research, University of Sydney in Australia. They obtained initial baseline information from asthma patients, who have been using either oral steroid for a month, or have used inhaled corticosteroid at least once. The study then conducted examinations five or ten years after initial baseline information were obtained.

Clinical trials suggest that long-term steroid use and its cumulative dosage increased the patient’s risk for developing cataracts. There were two types of cataract found to stem from steroid use; the nuclear cataract and the posterior subcapsular cataract. The nuclear cataract develops in the center of the lens while in posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC) the cataract develops in the area of the lens.

These findings further lead to additional studies to determine the effectivity of a combined oral and inhaled steroids therapy against using inhaled steroids alone. They found out that both exhibited similar effects. Clinicians therefore, must be cautious in prescribing the combined therapy to their patients as this may cause higher risk for developing cataracts.

According to Medical News Today:

“Our findings could mean that combined steroid use, when it results in high cumulative dosage over relatively long periods, increases risks for two types of cataract,” said lead researcher, Jie Jin Wang, MMed, PhD, Centre for Vision Research. “When clinicians prescribe both steroid forms, the cumulative, combined dose should be considered. Also, recent clinical trials indicate that combined steroids are not more effective than inhaled steroids alone in treating asthma.” He added that further investigation is needed to determine whether asthma plays a role in nuclear cataract development.