major cause of blindness worldwide. This may seem surprising, since it is eminently treatable by surgery, with a 95% success rate. However, psychological, social and economical factors prevent many patients from receiving treatment
In the UK, cataract surgery remains the most frequently undertaken surgical procedure in the NHS. In the financial year ending 2022, there were over 409,000 admissions to hospital for cataract surgery in England, a rate of 3,803 (3,789 to 3,816) per 100,000 population. This number had risen above that seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. (1)
age of onset:
may occur at any age, but they are predominantly a condition of old age (2)
prevalence increases with age:
16% in 65-69 years age group
24% in 70-74 years age group
42% in 75-79 years age group
59% in 80–84 years age group
71% in 85 years plus age group
note that there is significant global regional variability, with the highest rates in South Asia. (2)
age related cataracts tend to progress slowly
cataracts are more common in women than men (2)
in addition to age, risk factors for development of cataracts include (3)
gender
life style factors – smoking, alcohol consumption
diabetes mellitus
steroid treatment
ultraviolet exposure
nutrition and socio-economic status
dehydration/diarrhoeal crises
References:
Gov.UK. Office for Health Improvement & Disparities. Vision profile statistical commentary: September 2023
GBD 2019 Blindness and Vision Impairment Collaborators; Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study. Causes of blindness and vision impairment in 2020 and trends over 30 years, and prevalence of avoidable blindness in relation to VISION 2020: the Right to Sight: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet Glob Health. 2021 Feb;9(2):e144-60.
Gupta VB, Rajagopala M, Ravishankar B. Etiopathogenesis of cataract: an appraisal. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2014 Feb;62(2):103-10
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