A case report in Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, May/June 2006 describes a 43-year-old man who was on statin monotherapy (10 mg Lipitor) for hypercholesterolemia and developed unilateral blepharoptosis, that is drooping of his eyelid. The authors conclude that statin-induced myositis in the levator muscle should be considered as a possible cause of acquired eyelid drooping.

April 18, 2006 — A high glycemic index diet is associated with an increased risk of developing early age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to the results of a study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The editorialists suggest that the effect may result from other constituents common to that pattern of diet.

“Several dietary factors have been linked to age-related maculopathy (ARM), the early form of age-related macular degeneration, and there is reason to think that dietary carbohydrate may play a role in the development of ARM,” write Chung-Jung Chiu, MD, from Tufts University in Boston, Mass, and colleagues.

“The purpose of the present study was to examine the relation between dietary carbohydrate quality, as measured by dietary glycemic index (GI) or total carbohydrate intake, and ARM.” “Our results suggest that dietary GI may be an independent risk factor for ARM,” the authors write. “With no effective therapy for AMD, the related social and medical burden will continue to increase. Prevention remains the best approach for addressing this public health issue, and dietary modifications may provide one of the most cost-effective strategies.”

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