It has been found by the researchers at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and McGill University that some anti-depressant drugs are associated with an increased risk of developing cataracts.

Statistical relationships between a diagnosis of cataracts or cataract surgery and the class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), as well as between cataracts and specific drugs within that class have been shown by the study which is based on a database of more than 200,000 Quebec residents aged 65 and older.

However it was also said by the researchers that the study does not prove causation but only reveals an association between the use of SSRIs and the development of cataracts.

The researchers say that the study could not account for the possibility of smoking - which is a risk factor for cataracts - and additional population-based studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Mahyar Etminan, lead author of the article, a scientist and clinical pharmacist at the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and an assistant professor in the Dept. of Medicine at UBC said," When you look at the trade-offs of these drugs, the benefits of treating depression - which can be life-threatening - still outweigh the risk of developing cataracts, which are treatable and relatively benign."

It was shown by the study that patients taking SSRIs were overall 15 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cataracts or to have cataract surgery. (With Inputs from Agencies)