High cholesterol: warning sign that may lead to blindness

High cholesterol has to be managed carefully to avoid the development of any serious conditions. An American study has now found that heart disease may not be the only thing you're at risk of with high cholesterol.

The study, published in JAMA Opthamology, looked at over 800 cases of the most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, in a study of over 136,000 participants who were followed over more than 15 years.

During this time, participants updated the researchers on their use of statins (a group of drugs used to lower cholesterol) and provided updates on their cholesterol levels.

Having collected the information and studied it, the authors of the study found “for every 20-point increase in total cholesterol, there was a 7% increase in glaucoma risk”. They also noticed that the use of statins reduced the risk of developing glaucoma.

According to the study, “People who used statins for [more than] five years had a 21% lower risk of developing glaucoma”.

Glaucoma has a number of signs that you can look out for to see if you’re developing the condition. The earliest sign that you have a glaucoma is that your peripheral vision begins to become affected. Other more obvious signs include blurred vision and seeing rainbow-coloured circles around bright lights.

Occasionally, glaucoma may cause other symptoms that are more unpleasant including intense eye pain, nausea and vomiting. Alongside this, you may start to feel a tenderness around the eyes and begin to develop a headache and a red eye.

With glaucoma this is crucial as it can lead to blindness if not treated soon enough. It can normally be detected during a routine eye test at your local opticians.