BONE DRUGS MAY HURT EYES

Women taking drugs for bone thinning osteoporosis prevention may be at risk for developing serious inflammatory eye diseases. Research finds that women taking bisphosphonates for the first time had a 45 percent risk of developing uveitis and scleritis, inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, and inflammation of the outer eye wall. Symptoms of these diseases include blurred vision, eye redness, eye pain, light sensitivity and dark spots in the vision field. Some rare cases may result in blindness but prompt medical treatment may reverse the blinding symptoms once the drugs are stopped. Biophosphonates are generally safe, but patients with previous eye inflammatory histories or new symptoms should be quick to take action.