BioMed Central
onnI ! Page 1 of 7
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xw PI BMC Ophthalmology
k"">2#V Research article Open Access
C=N!z Comparison of age-specific cataract prevalence in two
6xH;:B)d population-based surveys 6 years apart
5>k>L*5J Ava Grace Tan†, Jie Jin Wang*†, Elena Rochtchina† and Paul Mitchell†
izMYVI?0 Address: Centre for Vision Research, Westmead Millennium Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital,
}@Xh xZu Westmead, NSW, Australia
UTZ776`S&X Email: Ava Grace Tan -
ava_tan@wmi.usyd.edu.au; Jie Jin Wang* -
jiejin_wang@wmi.usyd.edu.au;
a9[mZVMgUK Elena Rochtchina -
elena_rochtchina@wmi.usyd.edu.au; Paul Mitchell -
paul_mitchell@wmi.usyd.edu.au vqq6B/r@Fu * Corresponding author †Equal contributors
i<%m Iq1L Abstract
Da-u-_~ Background: In this study, we aimed to compare age-specific cortical, nuclear and posterior
O!;H}{[dg subcapsular (PSC) cataract prevalence in two surveys 6 years apart.
'gCJ[ ce Methods: The Blue Mountains Eye Study examined 3654 participants (82.4% of those eligible) in
'%R<" cross-section I (1992–4) and 3509 participants (75.1% of survivors and 85.2% of newly eligible) in
^^%JoQ. cross-section II (1997–2000, 66.5% overlap with cross-section I). Cataract was assessed from lens
M~uMY+> photographs following the Wisconsin Cataract Grading System. Cortical cataract was defined if
*oCxof9JA cortical opacity comprised ≥ 5% of lens area. Nuclear cataract was defined if nuclear opacity ≥
/vHYM S Wisconsin standard 4. PSC was defined if any present. Any cataract was defined to include persons
^f9>l;Lb who had previous cataract surgery. Weighted kappa for inter-grader reliability was 0.82, 0.55 and
z&O#v9.NE| 0.82 for cortical, nuclear and PSC cataract, respectively. We assessed age-specific prevalence using
G\R*#4cF an interval of 5 years, so that participants within each age group were independent between the
KYp[Gs two surveys.
tww=~! Results: Age and gender distributions were similar between the two populations. The age-specific
]D O&x+Rb prevalence of cortical (23.8% in 1st, 23.7% in 2nd) and PSC cataract (6.3%, 6.0%) was similar. The
`M:DZNy, prevalence of nuclear cataract increased slightly from 18.7% to 23.9%. After age standardization,
kVd5,Qd the similar prevalence of cortical (23.8%, 23.5%) and PSC cataract (6.3%, 5.9%), and the increased
I!P4(3skAB prevalence of nuclear cataract (18.7%, 24.2%) remained.
JnY$fs*" Conclusion: In two surveys of two population-based samples with similar age and gender
i0>]CJG distributions, we found a relatively stable cortical and PSC cataract prevalence over a 6-year period.
?\ZL#)hr"p The increased prevalence of nuclear cataract deserves further study.
+~N!9eMc Background
)>V?+L5M Age-related cataract is the leading cause of reversible visual
zVw:7- impairment in older persons [1-6]. In Australia, it is
m^<p8KZ estimated that by the year 2021, the number of people
{?Od{d9 affected by cataract will increase by 63%, due to population
YScvyh?E aging [7]. Surgical intervention is an effective treatment
802H$P^ps for cataract and normal vision (> 20/40) can usually
J/ vK6cO\ be restored with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.
7tRi"\[5 Cataract surgery with IOL implantation is currently the
+y/ 55VLq most commonly performed, and is, arguably, the most
6kN:* cost effective surgical procedure worldwide. Performance
@ &pqt6/t Published: 20 April 2006
Br!9x{q* BMC Ophthalmology 2006, 6:17 doi:10.1186/1471-2415-6-17
lNz
]HiD Received: 14 December 2005
L
0L2Ns Accepted: 20 April 2006
<.bRf This article is available from:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2415/6/17 5pfYEofK[ © 2006 Tan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
5!(?m~jJ This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0),
.XS9,/S which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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lyv4fP of this surgical procedure has been continuously increasing
MjD75hIZ in the last two decades. Data from the Australian
PyBD
Health Insurance Commission has shown a steady
pDl3!m increase in Medicare claims for cataract surgery [8]. A 2.6-
,eRQu. fold increase in the total number of cataract procedures
#+k*1Jg from 1985 to 1994 has been documented in Australia [9].
%S
\8. The rate of cataract surgery per thousand persons aged 65
H
C0w;MG) years or older has doubled in the last 20 years [8,9]. In the
%\Wf^6Y^ Blue Mountains Eye Study population, we observed a onethird
q%i-`S]}qL increase in cataract surgery prevalence over a mean
"N5!mpD" 6-year interval, from 6% to nearly 8% in two cross-sectional
}D;WN@], population-based samples with a similar age range
lz<]5T| [10]. Further increases in cataract surgery performance
'e!J06 would be expected as a result of improved surgical skills
F_H82BE+3 and technique, together with extending cataract surgical
>V$ Gx>I benefits to a greater number of older people and an
+>\id~c( increased number of persons with surgery performed on
1:M@&1LYp both eyes.
qfo
D Both the prevalence and incidence of age-related cataract
F?-R$<Cn2~ link directly to the demand for, and the outcome of, cataract
)B$;Vs]@i surgery and eye health care provision. This report
T~:|
!` aimed to assess temporal changes in the prevalence of cortical
>znRyQ~bM and nuclear cataract and posterior subcapsular cataract
S* *oA 6 (PSC) in two cross-sectional population-based
qIMA6u/ surveys 6 years apart.
F4L;BjnJ Methods
2*iIjw3g The Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) is a populationbased
{0"YOS`3AX cohort study of common eye diseases and other
H1n1-!%d health outcomes. The study involved eligible permanent
jPZaD>! residents aged 49 years and older, living in two postcode
Xx:F)A8O areas in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia.
~@.%m"<. Participants were identified through a census and were
f"1>bW>R+ invited to participate. The study was approved at each
xg_Df, stage of the data collection by the Human Ethics Committees
E.|-?xQ6 of the University of Sydney and the Western Sydney
9o*,P,j'} Area Health Service and adhered to the recommendations
' Z0r>. of the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent
29CINC was obtained from each participant.
y\dEk:\) Details of the methods used in this study have been
Ig]iT described previously [11]. The baseline examinations
OCZaQ33 (BMES cross-section I) were conducted during 1992–
?;/^Ya1;Z 1994 and included 3654 (82.4%) of 4433 eligible residents.
#jA[9gWI Follow-up examinations (BMES IIA) were conducted
h.O$]:N during 1997–1999, with 2335 (75.0% of BMES
M" ^PW,k cross section I survivors) participating. A repeat census of
%NL
^WG: the same area was performed in 1999 and identified 1378
`\Hf]b newly eligible residents who moved into the area or the
b4^`DHRu6 eligible age group. During 1999–2000, 1174 (85.2%) of
M9zfT!- this group participated in an extension study (BMES IIB).
hW!)w BMES cross-section II thus includes BMES IIA (66.5%)
3gd&i and BMES IIB (33.5%) participants (n = 3509).
a:QDBS2Llv Similar procedures were used for all stages of data collection
C4TE-OM8 at both surveys. A questionnaire was administered
,^# yo6- including demographic, family and medical history. A
B,,D7cQC detailed eye examination included subjective refraction,
o sKKt?^? slit-lamp (Topcon SL-7e camera, Topcon Optical Co,
Q0EiEX) Tokyo, Japan) and retroillumination (Neitz CT-R camera,
)iFJz/n> Neitz Instrument Co, Tokyo, Japan) photography of the
0RoU}r@z4 lens. Grading of lens photographs in the BMES has been
/0Ax*919j previously described [12]. Briefly, masked grading was
+\v?d&.f0 performed on the lens photographs using the Wisconsin
[jmd
Cataract Grading System [13]. Cortical cataract and PSC
9k{PBAP were assessed from the retroillumination photographs by
%2v4<icvq estimating the percentage of the circular grid involved.
y*X_T,K8 Cortical cataract was defined when cortical opacity
6F e34n]m involved at least 5% of the total lens area. PSC was defined
~6p[El#tS when opacity comprised at least 1% of the total lens area.
_4g.j Slit-lamp photographs were used to assess nuclear cataract
K'GBMnjD using the Wisconsin standard set of four lens photographs
H)n9O/u [13]. Nuclear cataract was defined when nuclear opacity
'q`^3&E was at least as great as the standard 4 photograph. Any cataract
%$b:X5$Z was defined to include persons who had previous
A{A\RSZ0 cataract surgery as well as those with any of three cataract
4ecP*g types. Inter-grader reliability was high, with weighted
lv04g} W kappa 0.82 for cortical cataract, 0.55 (simple kappa 0.75)
x9JD\vZ for nuclear cataract and 0.82 for PSC grading. The intragrader
d QqK^# reliability for nuclear cataract was assessed with
OynXkH]0T+ simple kappa 0.83 for the senior grader who graded
pS:4CNI{ nuclear cataract at both surveys. All PSC cases were confirmed
-PfX0y9n by an ophthalmologist (PM).
s=;uc]9g In cross-section I, 219 persons (6.0%) had missing or
b}"N`,0dO ungradable Neitz photographs, leaving 3435 with photographs
p9x(D/YP0 available for cortical cataract and PSC assessment,
w9bbMx while 1153 (31.6%) had randomly missing or ungradable
h-[VH% Topcon photographs due to a camera malfunction, leaving
s6@DGSJ 2501 with photographs available for nuclear cataract
W>j !Q^? assessment. Comparison of characteristics between participants
0E3[N:s with and without Neitz or Topcon photographs in
ci?qT,& cross-section I showed no statistically significant differences
vbyH<LPz5 between the two groups, as reported previously
UdpF@Q [12]. In cross-section II, 441 persons (12.5%) had missing
AT2n V
akL or ungradable Neitz photographs, leaving 3068 for cortical
N/MUwx;P cataract and PSC assessment, and 648 (18.5%) had
e?8
HgiP- missing or ungradable Topcon photographs, leaving 2860
H}hiT/+$ for nuclear cataract assessment.
KbA?7^zo` Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Analysis
&E.^jR~* System (SAS, SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). Age-adjusted
+JjW_Rl?=V prevalence was calculated using direct standardization of
I|^;B8[ the cross-section II population to the cross-section I population.
cj$[E]B3V* We assessed age-specific prevalence using an
Brf5dT49 interval of 5 years, so that participants within each age
XAF+0 x! group were independent between the two cross-sectional
LG9+y surveys.
{>hC~L?6 BMC Ophthalmology 2006, 6:17
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<G|(|E1 Results
`d5%.N Characteristics of the two survey populations have been
*U&0<{|T previously compared [14] and showed that age and sex
%A1o.{H distributions were similar. Table 1 compares participant
~*z% e*EL characteristics between the two cross-sections. Cross-section
3@dL
/x4A II participants generally had higher rates of diabetes,
vHry
Pl+ hypertension, myopia and more users of inhaled steroids.
<>y;.@}Q Cataract prevalence rates in cross-sections I and II are
{.C!i{| shown in Figure 1. The overall prevalence of cortical cataract
RP[{4Q8 was 23.8% and 23.7% in cross-sections I and II,
JtYP E? respectively (age-sex adjusted P = 0.81). Corresponding
)dbB=OZ prevalence of PSC was 6.3% and 6.0% for the two crosssections
dCi?SIN (age-sex adjusted P = 0.60). There was an
Pg,b-W?n* increased prevalence of nuclear cataract, from 18.7% in
6Ypc` cross-section I to 23.9% in cross-section II over the 6-year
v$7QIl_/7 period (age-sex adjusted P < 0.001). Prevalence of any cataract
FGigbtj` (including persons who had cataract surgery), however,
:61Tu
n was relatively stable (46.9% and 46.8% in crosssections
_=_Px@
<Q I and II, respectively).
U}yW<#$+ After age-standardization, these prevalence rates remained
5na~@-9p stable for cortical cataract (23.8% and 23.5% in the two
Ktb\ b w surveys) and PSC (6.3% and 5.9%). The slightly increased
^Cu\VV prevalence of nuclear cataract (from 18.7% to 24.2%) was
adCU61t not altered.
*6sl Table 2 shows the age-specific prevalence rates for cortical
}\tdcTMgS cataract, PSC and nuclear cataract in cross-sections I and
~
{E'@MU II. A similar trend of increasing cataract prevalence with
_4"mAPt increasing age was evident for all three types of cataract in
G`SUxhC k both surveys. Comparing the age-specific prevalence
"?]{%-u between the two surveys, a reduction in PSC prevalence in
ii[F]sR\ cross-section II was observed in the older age groups (≥ 75
QLXN*c years). In contrast, increased nuclear cataract prevalence
wQqb`l7+ in cross-section II was observed in the older age groups (≥
zL$@`Eh-KP 70 years). Age-specific cortical cataract prevalence was relatively
tNO-e|~' consistent between the two surveys, except for a
M2PAy! J reduction in prevalence observed in the 80–84 age group
RN$1bxY and an increasing prevalence in the older age groups (≥ 85
K(q+
" years).
'n{Nvt.c Similar gender differences in cataract prevalence were
rM
`X?>iT+ observed in both surveys (Table 3). Higher prevalence of
/qMG=Z cortical and nuclear cataract in women than men was evident
0H6(EzN but the difference was only significant for cortical
M2
,YsHt
cataract (age-adjusted odds ratio, OR, for women 1.3,
v25R_""~ 95% confidence intervals, CI, 1.1–1.5 in cross-section I
"S8uoSF`> and OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1–1.6 in cross-section II). In con-
*,e:]!* Table 1: Participant characteristics.
Ja,wfRq Characteristics Cross-section I Cross-section II
z_F-T=_ n % n %
#xho[\ Age (mean) (66.2) (66.7)
't1ax^-g 50–54 485 13.3 350 10.0
0t Fkd 55–59 534 14.6 580 16.5
$w)!3
c4 60–64 638 17.5 600 17.1
/ :
L ?~ 65–69 671 18.4 639 18.2
k9k
XyX[ 70–74 538 14.7 572 16.3
!Fca~31R' 75–79 422 11.6 407 11.6
FG%X~L<d,) 80–84 230 6.3 226 6.4
fmQ_P.c 85–89 100 2.7 110 3.1
*AG#316 90+ 36 1.0 24 0.7
k[bD\' Female 2072 56.7 1998 57.0
,=UK}*e" Ever Smokers 1784 51.2 1789 51.2
RTE8Uq36 Use of inhaled steroids 370 10.94 478 13.8^
dYG,_ji History of:
x}_]A$nV Diabetes 284 7.8 347 9.9^
!ipR$ dM Hypertension 1669 46.0 1825 52.2^
W }8'Pf Emmetropia* 1558 42.9 1478 42.2
4.Q} 1%ZN Myopia* 442 12.2 495 14.1^
c#|raXGT Hyperopia* 1633 45.0 1532 43.7
TV<'8L n = number of persons affected
tasIDoo+!J * best spherical equivalent refraction correction
IEXt: ^ P < 0.01
P#RR9>Q BMC Ophthalmology 2006, 6:17
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6{"$n
F] t
W yB3ls~
rast, men had slightly higher PSC prevalence than women
~tBYIkvWT in both cross-sections but the difference was not significant
<}E!w_yi (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.8–1.4 for men in cross-section I
H7d/X
and OR 1.2, 95% 0.9–1.6 in cross-section II).
*]AdUEV? Discussion
SSPHhAeH8 Findings from two surveys of BMES cross-sectional populations
UaWl6 Y&Vu with similar age and gender distribution showed
y`F3Hr c that the prevalence of cortical cataract and PSC remained
p^Ak1qm~e stable, while the prevalence of nuclear cataract appeared
8vMG5#U[ to have increased. Comparison of age-specific prevalence,
#73F}
tZ^ with totally independent samples within each age group,
Y8m1M-#w confirmed the robustness of our findings from the two
K
P Oa|$ survey samples. Although lens photographs taken from
aMtsmL?=
the two surveys were graded for nuclear cataract by the
^>i63Yc same graders, who documented a high inter- and intragrader
)(ImL
bM) reliability, we cannot exclude the possibility that
77\]B variations in photography, performed by different photographers,
.?R!D
YC` may have contributed to the observed difference
jz
qyk^X in nuclear cataract prevalence. However, the overall
3BtaH#ZY Table 2: Age-specific prevalence of cataract types in cross sections I and II.
l|kSsP:GO Cataract type Age (years) Cross-section I Cross-section II
p-Kz-+A [ n % (95% CL)* n % (95% CL)*
DNr@u/>vB Cortical 50–54 473 4.4 (2.6–6.3) 338 7.4 (4.6–10.2)
gj*+\3KO@a 55–59 522 9.2 (6.7–11.7) 542 9.0 (6.6–11.5)
VU&7
P/\f% 60–64 615 16.4 (13.5–19.4) 556 16.7 (13.6–19.8)
Cj{1
H([- 65–69 653 26.2 (22.8–29.6) 581 23.6 (20.1–27.0)
Uk^B"y_ 70–74 516 31.2 (27.2–35.2) 514 35.4 (31.3–39.6)
S7/eS)SQR 75–79 366 40.2 (35.1–45.2) 332 39.8 (34.5–45.1)
3NqN\5B: 80–84 194 58.8 (51.8–65.8) 163 42.9 (35.3–50.6)
L)@?e?9 85–89 74 52.7 (41.1–64.4) 73 54.8 (43.1–66.5)
BT}!W`
90+ 22 68.2 (47.0–89.3) 14 78.6 (54.0–103.2)
1C
v- PSC 50–54 474 2.7 (1.3–4.2) 338 2.4 (0.7–4.0)
n:yTeZ=-s4 55–59 522 2.9 (1.4–4.3) 541 2.6 (1.3–3.9)
uVJDne,R 60–64 616 4.6 (2.9–6.2) 548 5.7 (3.7–7.6)
nV -mPyfL8 65–69 655 6.3 (4.4–8.1) 573 4.5 (2.8–6.3)
^/\Of{OZ- 70–74 517 6.8 (4.6–8.9) 505 9.7 (7.1–12.3)
A
Q'J9 75–79 367 11.4 (8.2–14.7) 327 9.5 (6.3–12.7)
va}Pj#= 80–84 196 12.2 (7.6–16.9) 155 10.3 (5.5–15.2)
@ycDCB(D} 85–89 74 18.9 (9.8–28.1) 69 11.6 (3.9–19.4)
ihIVUu-M 90+ 23 21.7 (3.5–40.0) 11 0.0
j g
8fU Nuclear 50–54 323 1.6 (0.2–2.9) 331 0.9 (–0.2–1.9)
"1L$| 55–59 386 2.3 (0.8–3.8) 507 3.6 (1.9–5.2)
Wu[&Wv~ 60–64 453 5.3 (3.2–7.4) 501 11.6 (8.8–14.4)
_kU:Z 65–69 478 17.2 (13.8–20.1) 534 18.5 (15.2–21.9)
=kJ,%\E` 70–74 392 27.6 (23.1–32.0) 453 36.0 (31.6–40.4)
4KIRHnaj 75–79 255 45.1 (39.0–51.3) 302 55.6 (50.0–61.3)
95A1:A^t 80–84 146 54.1 (45.9–62.3) 147 73.5 (66.3–80.7)
mOy^vMa 85–89 50 64.0 (50.2–77.8) 70 80.0 (70.4–89.6)
>8W
P0Qx/ 90+ 18 72.2 (49.3–95.1) 15 73.3 (48.0–98.7)
Ju96#v+: n = number of persons
i rU 6D * 95% Confidence Limits
=5/9%P8j9 Cataract FMioguunrtea i1n ps rEeyvea lSetnucdey in cross-sections I and II of the Blue
pTPi@SBaP{ Cataract prevalence in cross-sections I and II of the Blue
g;qx">xJ`o Mountains Eye Study.
[|(N_[E|6 0
oSyyd 10
lQ" p ! 20
6kpg+{; 30
kYG/@7f/ 40
Pv_Jm 50
$
8UUzk cortical PSC nuclear any
8$6Y{$&C cataract
iBF|&h(\ Cataract type
([SU:F!uW( %
sf)EMh3Z Cross-section I
QZ6D7tUc8 Cross-section II
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coW:DFX prevalence of any cataract (including cataract surgery) was
Fv~20G(O relatively stable over the 6-year period.
c~z82iXNO Although different population-based studies used different
qh9Z50E9 grading systems to assess cataract [15], the overall
lAb*fafQy prevalence of the three cataract types were similar across
O(fM?4w different study populations [12,16-23]. Most studies have
:r{<zd>; suggested that nuclear cataract is the most prevalent type
1S{D6#bE of cataract, followed by cortical cataract [16-20]. Ours and
&]`(v}`] other studies reported that cortical cataract was the most
U{2BVqM prevalent type [12,21-23].
;_c;0) Our age-specific prevalence data show a reduction of
pMw*9sX 15.9% in cortical cataract prevalence for the 80–84 year
eD,.~Y#?= age group, concordant with an increase in cataract surgery
_K]_
@Ivh prevalence by 9% in those aged 80+ years observed in the
24
[+pu same study population [10]. Although cortical cataract is
-`'I{g&A thought to be the least likely cataract type leading to a cataract
iW$_zgN surgery, this may not be the case in all older persons.
RIlwdt
A relatively stable cortical cataract and PSC prevalence
|Luqoa over the 6-year period is expected. We cannot offer a
Bmr>n6| definitive explanation for the increase in nuclear cataract
6n,i0W prevalence. A possible explanation could be that a moderate
cz
>V8 level of nuclear cataract causes less visual disturbance
J l(&!?j than the other two types of cataract, thus for the oldest age
<c2E'U)X groups, persons with nuclear cataract could have been less
VEWi_;=J1 likely to have surgery unless it is very dense or co-existing
>" )Tf6zw& with cortical cataract or PSC. Previous studies have shown
GzhYY"iif# that functional vision and reading performance were high
sd*p/Q|4 in patients undergoing cataract surgery who had nuclear
6.sx?Y YM cataract only compared to those with mixed type of cataract
/KFfU1 (nuclear and cortical) or PSC [24,25]. In addition, the
j_K4;k#r overall prevalence of any cataract (including cataract surgery)
1Ir21un was similar in the two cross-sections, which appears
`95r0t0hh\ to support our speculation that in the oldest age group,
p*< 0"0 nuclear cataract may have been less likely to be operated
(ceNO4"cZ than the other two types of cataract. This could have
yQU{zY resulted in an increased nuclear cataract prevalence (due
~5NXd)2+Ks to less being operated), compensated by the decreased
+[M6X}
TQ prevalence of cortical cataract and PSC (due to these being
51#_Vg more likely to be operated), leading to stable overall prevalence
'.on)Zd. of any cataract.
J1,9kCO Possible selection bias arising from selective survival
O9G[j=U among persons without cataract could have led to underestimation
O8+7g+J=! of cataract prevalence in both surveys. We
(SWYOMo" assume that such an underestimation occurred equally in
%P<hW+P! both surveys, and thus should not have influenced our
b+%f+zz*h assessment of temporal changes.
Hkk/xNP Measurement error could also have partially contributed
w{Ivmdto to the observed difference in nuclear cataract prevalence.
{o)L c6T8s Assessment of nuclear cataract from photographs is a
H['N potentially subjective process that can be influenced by
n&L+wqJ variations in photography (light exposure, focus and the
Dl<bnx;0 slit-lamp angle when the photograph was taken) and
lAS#874dE grading. Although we used the same Topcon slit-lamp
];VA!++ camera and the same two graders who graded photos
n D0K).=Q from both surveys, we are still not able to exclude the possibility
,-$LmECg of a partial influence from photographic variation
D60aH!ft on this result.
DH[p\Wy' A similar gender difference (women having a higher rate
iNWw;_|1 than men) in cortical cataract prevalence was observed in
*U^6u/iH both surveys. Our findings are in keeping with observations
.!Qki@ from the Beaver Dam Eye Study [18], the Barbados
aEFJ;n7m Eye Study [22] and the Lens Opacities Case-Control
c>,'Y)8 Group [26]. It has been suggested that the difference
t
=(!\:[D could be related to hormonal factors [18,22]. A previous
ZXu>,Jy study on biochemical factors and cataract showed that a
]jtK I4 lower level of iron was associated with an increased risk of
qaqBOHI6G cortical cataract [27]. No interaction between sex and biochemical
i)o2klIkB factors were detected and no gender difference
ls?~+\Jb was assessed in this study [27]. The gender difference seen
$'0u |Xy` in cortical cataract could be related to relatively low iron
d:_t-ZZo levels and low hemoglobin concentration usually seen in
_- [''(E women [28]. Diabetes is a known risk factor for cortical
bH-ub2@qO Table 3: Gender distribution of cataract types in cross-sections I and II.
w~
.f Cataract type Gender Cross-section I Cross-section II
#=D) j n % (95% CL)* n % (95% CL)*
<vnHz?71c Cortical Male 1496 21.1 (19.0–23.1) 1328 20.4 (18.2–22.6)
5 z~1Dw Female 1939 25.9 (23.9–27.8) 1785 26.2 (24.2–28.3)
,oORW/0iS PSC Male 1500 6.5 (5.2–7.7) 1314 6.4 (5.1–7.7)
y>R=`A1b Female 1944 6.2 (5.1–7.2) 1753 5.7 (4.6–6.7)
9V'%<pk''( Nuclear Male 1106 17.6 (15.4–19.9) 1225 22.5 (20.1–24.8)
CWf /H)~ Female 1395 19.5 (17.4–21.6) 1635 25.0 (22.9–27.1)
`Y+J-EQ n = number of persons
K}2Erm%A@y * 95% Confidence Limits
#&cI3i BMC Ophthalmology 2006, 6:17
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2415/6/17 yID164&r Page 6 of 7
3ovWwZ8& (page number not for citation purposes)
VGLaN%| cataract but in this particular population diabetes is more
F@^~7ZmP` prevalent in men than women in all age groups [29]. Differential
osciZ'~ exposures to cataract risk factors or different dietary
i
F*:d or lifestyle patterns between men and women may
<i<J^-W also be related to these observations and warrant further
jy7\+i study.
pb^i^tA+A Conclusion
6f;fx}y In summary, in two population-based surveys 6 years
~)*,S^k(C. apart, we have documented a relatively stable prevalence
+U:$(UV'A of cortical cataract and PSC over the period. The observed
$JS L-NkE overall increased nuclear cataract prevalence by 5% over a
c@YI;HS_g 6-year period needs confirmation by future studies, and
o-;E>N7t reasons for such an increase deserve further study.
T _M!<J Competing interests
agkA}O The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.
>PB4L_1 Authors' contributions
XV!6dh! AGT graded the photographs, performed literature search
kSC}a
N' and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. JJW graded the
WJ)z6m] photographs, critically reviewed and modified the manuscript.
mrTlXXz ER performed the statistical analysis and critically
})uGRvz reviewed the manuscript. PM designed and directed the
QpZ:gM_ study, adjudicated cataract cases and critically reviewed
~7Y+2FZ and modified the manuscript. All authors read and
m[i+knYX approved the final manuscript.
F8hw#!Aq Acknowledgements
KuWWUjCE This study was supported by the Australian National Health & Medical
z
MLK7+ Research Council, Canberra, Australia (Grant Nos 974159, 991407). The
|lXc0"H[o abstract was presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
_\=`6`b) (ARVO) meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, May 2005.
uC.K<jD%
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3d The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed
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