Association of gout medications and risk of cataract: a population-based case–control study

• Published in: QJM : An International Journal of Medicine 2019-11, Vol.112 (11), p.841-846
• Main Authors: Li, Y-J, Perng, W-T, Tseng, K-Y, Wang, Y-H, Wei, J C-C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Allopurinol - therapeutic use; Benzbromarone - therapeutic use; Case-Control Studies; Cataract - chemically induced; Cataract - epidemiology; Colchicine - administration & dosage; Colchicine - adverse effects; Databases, Factual; Female; Gout - complications; Gout - drug therapy; Gout Suppressants - administration & dosage; Gout Suppressants - adverse effects; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; National Health Programs; Risk Factors; Taiwan; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1460-2725; 1460-2393
• DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcz167

Abstract Background The relationship between gout medication use and cataract development is controversial. Moreover, limited clinical studies have evaluated this relationship. Aim To assess the effects of colchicine, allopurinol and benzbromarone on the risk of cataract in patients with gout. Design Population-based nested case–control study. Methods We enrolled 7900 patients who had received a new diagnosis of cataract >3 years after gout diagnosis into the study group and 33 475 patients who did not receive a diagnosis of cataract into the control group by matching for age, sex and the year of gout diagnosis at a ratio of 1:1. We used World Health Organization’s defined daily dose (DDD) as a measure to assess the dosage of colchicine, allopurinol and benzbromarone exposure. Logistic regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of cataract. Results The risk of cataract significantly increased in patients who received colchicine at a cumulative DDD of ≥66.5 (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.01–1.36, P = 0.041). In the age-stratified analysis, patients with gout aged >60 years had a higher risk of cataract (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.06–1.53, P = 0.011) than did patients aged 60 years who received colchicine at a cumulative DDD of >66.5.