BioMed Central
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aD2+9?m BMC Ophthalmology
aWp9K+4R$/ Research article Open Access
!11x&Db Comparison of age-specific cataract prevalence in two
6SYQRK population-based surveys 6 years apart
/(`B;? Ava Grace Tan†, Jie Jin Wang*†, Elena Rochtchina† and Paul Mitchell†
5&
&6e` Address: Centre for Vision Research, Westmead Millennium Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital,
] D(laqS;" Westmead, NSW, Australia
1
\#n{a3 Email: Ava Grace Tan -
ava_tan@wmi.usyd.edu.au; Jie Jin Wang* -
jiejin_wang@wmi.usyd.edu.au;
>a5M:s) Elena Rochtchina -
elena_rochtchina@wmi.usyd.edu.au; Paul Mitchell -
paul_mitchell@wmi.usyd.edu.au Gi<ik~ * Corresponding author †Equal contributors
S6.N)7y Abstract
kR
C0iTV'I Background: In this study, we aimed to compare age-specific cortical, nuclear and posterior
/+FZDRf!r subcapsular (PSC) cataract prevalence in two surveys 6 years apart.
?*I
_'2 Methods: The Blue Mountains Eye Study examined 3654 participants (82.4% of those eligible) in
U}c[oA cross-section I (1992–4) and 3509 participants (75.1% of survivors and 85.2% of newly eligible) in
lX)RG*FlTC cross-section II (1997–2000, 66.5% overlap with cross-section I). Cataract was assessed from lens
p1dqDgF* photographs following the Wisconsin Cataract Grading System. Cortical cataract was defined if
G4!$48 cortical opacity comprised ≥ 5% of lens area. Nuclear cataract was defined if nuclear opacity ≥
^1&xt(G Wisconsin standard 4. PSC was defined if any present. Any cataract was defined to include persons
P,S$qD*4 who had previous cataract surgery. Weighted kappa for inter-grader reliability was 0.82, 0.55 and
w|6;Pf~1y) 0.82 for cortical, nuclear and PSC cataract, respectively. We assessed age-specific prevalence using
69Y>iPRU an interval of 5 years, so that participants within each age group were independent between the
"HWl7c3q two surveys.
;pU#3e+P8 Results: Age and gender distributions were similar between the two populations. The age-specific
]jWe']T prevalence of cortical (23.8% in 1st, 23.7% in 2nd) and PSC cataract (6.3%, 6.0%) was similar. The
` r; . prevalence of nuclear cataract increased slightly from 18.7% to 23.9%. After age standardization,
Z%*_kk the similar prevalence of cortical (23.8%, 23.5%) and PSC cataract (6.3%, 5.9%), and the increased
Dh*>361y- prevalence of nuclear cataract (18.7%, 24.2%) remained.
nwd
02tu Conclusion: In two surveys of two population-based samples with similar age and gender
LK8K=AA3P distributions, we found a relatively stable cortical and PSC cataract prevalence over a 6-year period.
%@<}z|.4 The increased prevalence of nuclear cataract deserves further study.
MC5M><5\ Background
e+"rL] Age-related cataract is the leading cause of reversible visual
v})0zz?,1 impairment in older persons [1-6]. In Australia, it is
>@b70X!J] estimated that by the year 2021, the number of people
)J/,-p affected by cataract will increase by 63%, due to population
ArBgg[i aging [7]. Surgical intervention is an effective treatment
IX eb6j8 for cataract and normal vision (> 20/40) can usually
l?_Iu_Qp be restored with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.
)j6VROt Cataract surgery with IOL implantation is currently the
V@jR8zv|_ most commonly performed, and is, arguably, the most
`0+zF- cost effective surgical procedure worldwide. Performance
%g3@m5& Published: 20 April 2006
B7qm;(?X& BMC Ophthalmology 2006, 6:17 doi:10.1186/1471-2415-6-17
/}?"O~5M" Received: 14 December 2005
E Kks8 Accepted: 20 April 2006
XW6>;:4k This article is available from:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2415/6/17 sygAEL;. © 2006 Tan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
WpX)[au This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0),
l -~HY* which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
}E$^!q{ BMC Ophthalmology 2006, 6:17
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tk4~ 8 of this surgical procedure has been continuously increasing
>\hu1C|W in the last two decades. Data from the Australian
n~\"W Health Insurance Commission has shown a steady
sHO6y0P increase in Medicare claims for cataract surgery [8]. A 2.6-
#_{3W-35* fold increase in the total number of cataract procedures
f.0~HnNg1 from 1985 to 1994 has been documented in Australia [9].
vj<HthC.k The rate of cataract surgery per thousand persons aged 65
m4(:H(Za years or older has doubled in the last 20 years [8,9]. In the
O3#4B!J$E Blue Mountains Eye Study population, we observed a onethird
-~eNC^t;W increase in cataract surgery prevalence over a mean
Kx?3 ] 6-year interval, from 6% to nearly 8% in two cross-sectional
l)`bm/k]V population-based samples with a similar age range
k}y1I
W+3 [10]. Further increases in cataract surgery performance
$6 \v1 would be expected as a result of improved surgical skills
9mkt.>$ and technique, together with extending cataract surgical
2S
EfEkk benefits to a greater number of older people and an
\?&P|7N increased number of persons with surgery performed on
q%,q"WU both eyes.
vMKmHq Both the prevalence and incidence of age-related cataract
6rMGlzuRo link directly to the demand for, and the outcome of, cataract
@#Jc!p7) surgery and eye health care provision. This report
V*SKWP aimed to assess temporal changes in the prevalence of cortical
Z8tQ#Pu{ and nuclear cataract and posterior subcapsular cataract
#R<4K0Xan (PSC) in two cross-sectional population-based
J3cbDE%^m surveys 6 years apart.
U'@eUY(Ov$ Methods
vK)^;T ; The Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) is a populationbased
qQ[&FjTO` cohort study of common eye diseases and other
si,fs%D& health outcomes. The study involved eligible permanent
+[Nc";Oy residents aged 49 years and older, living in two postcode
}5-^:}gL areas in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia.
K5No6dsD Participants were identified through a census and were
B ?96d'A invited to participate. The study was approved at each
|H 0+.f; stage of the data collection by the Human Ethics Committees
6"C$]kF? of the University of Sydney and the Western Sydney
c*$&MCh Area Health Service and adhered to the recommendations
Z?|\0GR+`5 of the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent
1a4
[w
was obtained from each participant.
U`sybtuBP' Details of the methods used in this study have been
p6u"$)wt described previously [11]. The baseline examinations
8xzEbRNJ) (BMES cross-section I) were conducted during 1992–
_svY.ps* 1994 and included 3654 (82.4%) of 4433 eligible residents.
y)o!F^ Follow-up examinations (BMES IIA) were conducted
O?|opD during 1997–1999, with 2335 (75.0% of BMES
X>l cross section I survivors) participating. A repeat census of
?kvkkycI the same area was performed in 1999 and identified 1378
\xJT
sdd newly eligible residents who moved into the area or the
';4DU
hp eligible age group. During 1999–2000, 1174 (85.2%) of
rld4uy}m this group participated in an extension study (BMES IIB).
T )
T0.c BMES cross-section II thus includes BMES IIA (66.5%)
}
<; y,4f and BMES IIB (33.5%) participants (n = 3509).
+ew 2+2 Similar procedures were used for all stages of data collection
9Y&,dBj+ at both surveys. A questionnaire was administered
pn?c6KvO including demographic, family and medical history. A
$[txZN detailed eye examination included subjective refraction,
:c%vl$ slit-lamp (Topcon SL-7e camera, Topcon Optical Co,
e.
9oB<Etp Tokyo, Japan) and retroillumination (Neitz CT-R camera,
%tiFx:F+ Neitz Instrument Co, Tokyo, Japan) photography of the
u|h>z|4lJj lens. Grading of lens photographs in the BMES has been
d4<Ic# previously described [12]. Briefly, masked grading was
R06q~ > performed on the lens photographs using the Wisconsin
| W:JI Cataract Grading System [13]. Cortical cataract and PSC
6?OH"!b2-} were assessed from the retroillumination photographs by
w.exLC estimating the percentage of the circular grid involved.
L>Bf}^ Cortical cataract was defined when cortical opacity
7Fb |~In<Z involved at least 5% of the total lens area. PSC was defined
>Z
ZX]#=I when opacity comprised at least 1% of the total lens area.
JK0L&t< Slit-lamp photographs were used to assess nuclear cataract
"2:]9j using the Wisconsin standard set of four lens photographs
&z;F'>" [13]. Nuclear cataract was defined when nuclear opacity
bJ8G5QU was at least as great as the standard 4 photograph. Any cataract
44_
7gOZ was defined to include persons who had previous
A7@5lHMF cataract surgery as well as those with any of three cataract
<EKDP>,~ types. Inter-grader reliability was high, with weighted
p\5DW' kappa 0.82 for cortical cataract, 0.55 (simple kappa 0.75)
ZVu&q{s, for nuclear cataract and 0.82 for PSC grading. The intragrader
j2NnDz' reliability for nuclear cataract was assessed with
w8i"-SE simple kappa 0.83 for the senior grader who graded
gHc0n0ZV nuclear cataract at both surveys. All PSC cases were confirmed
F aO=<jYi by an ophthalmologist (PM).
;\yY*
In cross-section I, 219 persons (6.0%) had missing or
Z!o&};_j ungradable Neitz photographs, leaving 3435 with photographs
z;`o>Ja2 available for cortical cataract and PSC assessment,
yAOYe"d while 1153 (31.6%) had randomly missing or ungradable
F/;uN5{o Topcon photographs due to a camera malfunction, leaving
9qxB/5d_ 2501 with photographs available for nuclear cataract
3uA%1
E assessment. Comparison of characteristics between participants
b
oAu with and without Neitz or Topcon photographs in
xKIzEN
& cross-section I showed no statistically significant differences
C8i6ESmU between the two groups, as reported previously
=9@{U2 =l [12]. In cross-section II, 441 persons (12.5%) had missing
tM3eB= .* or ungradable Neitz photographs, leaving 3068 for cortical
t~m > \(& cataract and PSC assessment, and 648 (18.5%) had
3>%oGbo missing or ungradable Topcon photographs, leaving 2860
Iqe=) for nuclear cataract assessment.
lrg3n[y-l Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Analysis
m":lKXpQ System (SAS, SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). Age-adjusted
*|S.[i_7 prevalence was calculated using direct standardization of
./nq*4= the cross-section II population to the cross-section I population.
WO{V,<; We assessed age-specific prevalence using an
K4938
v interval of 5 years, so that participants within each age
tVJ}NI # group were independent between the two cross-sectional
2t'^ surveys.
mD@#,B7A BMC Ophthalmology 2006, 6:17
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U_!Wg| Results
RzG7Xr=t Characteristics of the two survey populations have been
YU! SdT$ previously compared [14] and showed that age and sex
3D<s# distributions were similar. Table 1 compares participant
Z6@W)Q X characteristics between the two cross-sections. Cross-section
9 -7.4!]I II participants generally had higher rates of diabetes,
m]t`;lr< hypertension, myopia and more users of inhaled steroids.
20glz( Cataract prevalence rates in cross-sections I and II are
HPM
ggRs shown in Figure 1. The overall prevalence of cortical cataract
7P!<c/ E was 23.8% and 23.7% in cross-sections I and II,
-58 respectively (age-sex adjusted P = 0.81). Corresponding
xD[O8vQE prevalence of PSC was 6.3% and 6.0% for the two crosssections
$-4OveS~B (age-sex adjusted P = 0.60). There was an
Jo%5 NXts4 increased prevalence of nuclear cataract, from 18.7% in
q1C) *8*g cross-section I to 23.9% in cross-section II over the 6-year
@wa2Z period (age-sex adjusted P < 0.001). Prevalence of any cataract
1u4) (including persons who had cataract surgery), however,
0K/?8[# was relatively stable (46.9% and 46.8% in crosssections
M=vRy|TL I and II, respectively).
a%R'x] After age-standardization, these prevalence rates remained
a:$hK%^
\ stable for cortical cataract (23.8% and 23.5% in the two
6:Eu[PE~w surveys) and PSC (6.3% and 5.9%). The slightly increased
e) Q{yO prevalence of nuclear cataract (from 18.7% to 24.2%) was
{J_1.uN= not altered.
Ur^~fW1o Table 2 shows the age-specific prevalence rates for cortical
y*i_Ec\h cataract, PSC and nuclear cataract in cross-sections I and
~M@'=Q*~ II. A similar trend of increasing cataract prevalence with
z@WuKRsi increasing age was evident for all three types of cataract in
`U-i{i both surveys. Comparing the age-specific prevalence
N!O.=>8< between the two surveys, a reduction in PSC prevalence in
BK,h$z7#6
cross-section II was observed in the older age groups (≥ 75
'3
B\
I# years). In contrast, increased nuclear cataract prevalence
RPH]@ in cross-section II was observed in the older age groups (≥
,{4G@:Fm 70 years). Age-specific cortical cataract prevalence was relatively
}d<xbL!# consistent between the two surveys, except for a
6Xu^cbD reduction in prevalence observed in the 80–84 age group
DyZe+,g;S and an increasing prevalence in the older age groups (≥ 85
)HLe8:PG~ years).
m53XN Similar gender differences in cataract prevalence were
&c;@u?:@S observed in both surveys (Table 3). Higher prevalence of
>0#WkmRY cortical and nuclear cataract in women than men was evident
Z_%9LxZlyj but the difference was only significant for cortical
'A#`,^]uLF cataract (age-adjusted odds ratio, OR, for women 1.3,
S1_X@[t 95% confidence intervals, CI, 1.1–1.5 in cross-section I
=\jp%A1$
and OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1–1.6 in cross-section II). In con-
4Ji6B)B Table 1: Participant characteristics.
BU\P5uB!V Characteristics Cross-section I Cross-section II
{|Ew]Wq n % n %
desrKnY Age (mean) (66.2) (66.7)
f 7g?{M 50–54 485 13.3 350 10.0
`5VEGSP] 55–59 534 14.6 580 16.5
yJ(BPSt 60–64 638 17.5 600 17.1
E=Z;T 65–69 671 18.4 639 18.2
<r[5 S5y 70–74 538 14.7 572 16.3
v0~'`*|& 75–79 422 11.6 407 11.6
%RlG~a 80–84 230 6.3 226 6.4
I-@A{vvPK 85–89 100 2.7 110 3.1
HM'P<< 90+ 36 1.0 24 0.7
:/F=j;o Female 2072 56.7 1998 57.0
]_8
bX}_n Ever Smokers 1784 51.2 1789 51.2
2WKYf0t Use of inhaled steroids 370 10.94 478 13.8^
Idy
{(Q History of:
PEKU Diabetes 284 7.8 347 9.9^
zQ;jaS3hf Hypertension 1669 46.0 1825 52.2^
AFd3_>h Emmetropia* 1558 42.9 1478 42.2
s-\.j-Sa Myopia* 442 12.2 495 14.1^
i|- 6 Hyperopia* 1633 45.0 1532 43.7
7~gIOu n = number of persons affected
Z0Tpz2m * best spherical equivalent refraction correction
jRk"
#: ^ P < 0.01
X(sN+7DOV BMC Ophthalmology 2006, 6:17
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\O*8% (page number not for citation purposes)
=5a|'O t
)oEHE7 y rast, men had slightly higher PSC prevalence than women
(qf%,F,_L in both cross-sections but the difference was not significant
Gxtqzr* (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.8–1.4 for men in cross-section I
H$M#+EfL and OR 1.2, 95% 0.9–1.6 in cross-section II).
/QA:`_</oh Discussion
nnv&