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
according to estimates, 225,000 visually impairing cataract patients are expected each year (1)
age of onset:
may occur at any age, but they are predominantly a condition of old age
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 the age of onset in Indian and Bangladeshi patients is lower than other ethnic groups (1)
age related cataracts tend to progress slowly
cataracts are more common in women than men
in addition to age, risk factors for development of cataracts include
gender
life style factors – smoking, alcohol consumption
diabetes mellitus
steroid treatment
ultraviolet exposure
nutrition and socio-economic status
dehydration/diarrhoeal crises (1)
approximately 200,000 cataract operations are performed each year in the UK
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