Metabolic syndrome linked to cataract formation in the Blue Mountains Eye Study

A cohort of 3654 elderly Australians were followed up over a 10-year period in order to assess the associations between diabetes and selected cardiovascular risk factors and long-term incident cataract. Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and metabolic syndrome were defined using WHO criteria. After controlling for confounding risk factors, baseline diabetes predicted nuclear cataract whereas IFG predicted cortical cataract, with each one-standard deviation increase in glucose being positively associated with cortical cataract. Furthermore, higher body mass index was positively associated with posterior subcapsular cataract. Patients taking antihypertensive medication had a higher incidence of incident cataract surgery. Overall, metabolic syndrome was associated with an increased risk of all three cataract subtypes. In conclusion, metabolic syndrome seems more likely to contribute to cataract formation than any individual cardiovascular risk factor.

Abstract

Keywords:
BMI – Diabetes – Eye disease – Hypertension – IFG – WHO definition