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Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Cataract risk factors

Introduction

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Risk Factors

Risk Factors

Advanced age is the most important risk factor for cataract development, reflecting cumulative biochemical and structural changes within the crystalline lens.[1]

Systemic conditions associated with increased cataract risk include diabetes mellitus, which accelerates lens opacification through metabolic and osmotic mechanisms affecting lens proteins.[2]

Lifestyle and environmental risk factors include cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and ultraviolet radiation exposure, all of which increase oxidative stress within the lens.[2]

Medication-related risk factors include prolonged use of systemic or topical corticosteroids, which are strongly associated with posterior subcapsular cataract formation.[3]

Ocular conditions such as uveitis, high myopia, ocular trauma, and prior intraocular surgery are also associated with increased risk of cataract development.[3]

References

References

  1. ↑ 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;9(2):e144-e160. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30489-7
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Liu YC, Wilkins M, Kim T, Malyugin B, Mehta JS. Cataracts. Lancet. 2017;390(10094):600-612. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30544-5
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Miller KM, Oetting TA, Tweeten JP, et al; American Academy of Ophthalmology Preferred Practice Pattern Cataract/Anterior Segment Panel. Cataract in the adult eye preferred practice pattern. Ophthalmology. 2022;129(1):1-P126. doi:10.1016/j. ophtha.2021.10.006

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] , Joseph Nasr, M.D.[2]