A study conducted by the Centre for Vision Research, University of Sydney, Australia, examines how steroid (corticosteroid) use relates to risks for cataract,b the clouding of the eye's lens that leads to reduced vision and blindness, if untreated.

Many people with asthma rely on inhaled, and sometimes oral, steroids, as do people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This population-based study, a cohort of the Blue Mountains Eye Study, followed 3,654 Australians, aged 49 years or older, five and 10 years after initial (baseline) examinations conducted between 1992 and 1994. This timeframe was needed to assess the long-term impact of steroid use on cataracts, which develop slowly over years. Based on their findings, the researchers suggest that more judicious prescription of combined inhaled and oral steroids may decrease cataract risk for asthma patients…