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Risk factors for cataracts

Doctors don't know for sure why some people get cataracts and others don't. But some things increase your chance of getting them. Doctors call these things risk factors.

If you have a risk factor, it doesn't mean that you'll get cataracts for sure. It just means you're more likely to get them than somebody who doesn't have that risk factor.

Here are some of the risk factors for cataracts.

  • Smoking a lot. You're more than twice as likely to get cataracts in middle age if you smoke a lot or have done so in the past. The more cigarettes you smoke, the higher your chance of getting cataracts. But your chances go down slightly if you quit smoking. You're more likely to get a type of cataract called a nuclear cataract if you smoke.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Flaye DE, Sullivan KN, Cullinan TR, et al.
    Cataracts and cigarette smoking: the City Eye Study.
    Eye. 1989; 3: 379-384.
     
     
     
     
     
     1
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Klein BEK, Klein R, Lee KE, et al.
    Socioeconomic and lifestyle factors and the 10-year incidence of age-related cataracts.
    American Journal of Ophthalmology. 2003; 136: 506-512.
     
     
     
     
     
     2 In this type, your lens turns from clear to yellow-brown.
  • Being out in the sun a lot. You may be three times more likely to get cortical cataracts (the kind that grows from the edge of your lens) if you get a lot of ultraviolet B rays from the sun. These rays can give you a sunburn, blisters and skin cancer. To protect your eyes, you can wear a hat with a brim and sunglasses with lenses that stop these rays from reaching your eyes.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Taylor HR, West SK, Rosenthal FS, et al.
    Effect of ultraviolet radiation on cataract formation.
    New England Journal of Medicine. 1988; 319: 1429-1433.
     
     
     
     
     
     3
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    McCarty CA, Taylor HR.
    A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts.
    In: Hockwin O, Kojima M, Takahashi N, et al (editors). Progress in lens and cataract research. Karger, Basel, Switzerland; 2002. Developments in Ophthalmology. 2002; 35: 21-31.
     
     
     
     
     
     4
  • Having cataracts run in your family. You may be two or three times more likely to get cataracts if your brothers and sisters have them. Cataracts run in families. But we don't know how much of this is due to sharing the same
     
     
     
     
     
    genes
    Your genes are the parts of your cells that contain instructions for how your body works. Genes are housed on chromosomes, structures that sit in the nucleus at the middle of each of your cells. You have 23 pairs of chromosomes in your normal cells, each of which has thousands of genes. You get one set of chromosomes, and all of the genes that are on them, from each of your parents.
     
     
     
     
     
     genes or to living the same way.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Congdon NG.
    Prevention strategies for age related cataract: present limitations and future possibilities.
    British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2001; 85: 5.
     
     
     
     
     
     5
  • Drinking a lot of alcohol. People who have more than four drinks of alcohol a day may be more likely to get cataracts. But having a drink every now and then doesn't seem to increase your chance of getting cataracts as you age.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Hiratsuka Y, Guohua L.
    Alcohol and eye diseases: a review of epidemiologic studies.
    Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 2001; 62: 397-402.
     
     
     
     
     
     6
  • Not eating healthy foods. You may be less likely to get cataracts if what you eat has enough vitamins and minerals. Some weak research suggests that taking vitamin E (and maybe vitamin A and vitamin C) might prevent getting cataracts. These vitamins are known as antioxidants. But doctors don't recommend taking antioxidant vitamin supplements to prevent cataract because there isn't enough evidence to know for sure that the vitamins help.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Taylor H.
    Epidemiology of age-related cataract.
    Eye. 1999; 13: 445-448.
     
     
     
     
     
     7
  • Eating too little or too much. Some studies have shown that people who don't get enough to eat may be more likely to get cataracts. Other studies have shown that you're more likely to get cataracts at the back of your lens if you are overweight.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Taylor H.
    Epidemiology of age-related cataract.
    Eye. 1999; 13: 445-448.
     
     
     
     
     
     7 These cataracts are called posterior subcapsular cataracts.
  • Taking certain drugs. People who take drugs called
     
     
     
     
     
    steroids
    Steroids are a type of chemical. Your body naturally produces steroids, which play a part in many of its processes. For example, steroids are involved in how your immune system, reproductive system and metabolism work. Steroids can also be given as medicines and are used for a number of different conditions: including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and eczema. Corticosteroids are not the same as the steroids used by some body builders and athletes. Those steroids are called 'anabolic steroids'.
     
     
     
     
     
     steroids for a long time are more likely to get a cataract at the back of their lens (a posterior subcapsular cataract). One study found that 4 in 10 people taking steroids for a condition called
     
     
     
     
     
    rheumatoid arthritis
    If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your joints get painful, swollen and stiff. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by inflammation inside your joints. It happens when your immune system attacks the lining of your joints.
     
     
     
     
     
     rheumatoid arthritis got this type of cataract. Steroids that you use as creams and as drops to treat eye problems and steroids that you breathe in to treat
     
     
     
     
     
    asthma
    Asthma is a long-term disease of the lungs. It makes you wheeze, cough and feel short of breath. Asthma attacks are caused by iflammation and narrowing of the airways, which makes it hard for air to pass in and out of the lungs.
     
     
     
     
     
     asthma also have been linked to this type of cataract.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Jobling AI, Augusteyn RC.
    What causes steroid cataracts? A review of steroid-induced posterior subcapsular cataracts.
    Clinical and Experimental Optometry. 2002; 85 (2): 61-75.
     
     
     
     
     
     8 Other drugs may increase the risk of cataracts caused by aging.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Klein BE, Klein R, Lee KE, et al.
    Drug use and five-year incidence of age-related cataracts. The Beaver Dam Eye Study.
    Ophthalmology. 2001; 108: 1670-1674.
     
     
     
     
     
     9 But we need more research to know for sure. Taking aspirin may help stop you from getting cataracts, but there hasn't been enough research to show this for sure, or not.
  • Getting dehydrated. If your body is low on fluids, doctors say you are
     
     
     
     
     
    dehydrated
    When you're dehydrated, you don't have enough fluid in your blood. This could be because you're not drinking enough or because you're losing water by sweating or having diarrhea.
     
     
     
     
     
     dehydrated. This could increase your chance of getting cataracts. Some studies show a link between getting cataracts and having had bad
     
     
     
     
     
    diarrhea
    Diarrhea is when you have loose, watery stools and you need to go to the bathroom far more often than usual. Doctors say you have diarrhea if you need to go to the bathroom more than three times a day.
     
     
     
     
     
     diarrhea or an
     
     
     
     
     
    infection
    You get an infection when viruses, bacteria, fungi or other tiny organisms get into your body. These bugs are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. For example, an infection in your airways causes the common cold. And an infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.
     
     
     
     
     
     infection called cholera. These conditions dry your body out.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Hiratsuka Y, Guohua L.
    Alcohol and eye diseases: a review of epidemiologic studies.
    Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 2001; 62: 397-402.
     
     
     
     
     
     6
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Muller-Bretenkamp U, Hockwin O.
    Risk factors in cataract development: a review.
    In: Sasaki K, Hockwin O (editors). Distribution of cataracts in the population and influencing factors. Karger, Basel, Switzerland; 1991. Developments in Opthalmology. 1991; 21: 60-65.
     
     
     
     
     
     10
  • Having diabetes. People with
     
     
     
     
     
    diabetes
    Diabetes is a condition that causes too much sugar to circulate in your blood. It happens when your body stops making a hormone called insulin (type 1 diabetes) or when insulin stops working (type 2 diabetes).
     
     
     
     
     
     diabetes are more likely to get cataracts linked to aging at a younger age. To read more, see Cataracts and diabetes.
  • Having heart disease. Some research has shown that if you have
     
     
     
     
     
    heart disease
    You get heart disease when your heart isn't able to pump blood as well as it should. This can happen for a variety of reasons.
     
     
     
     
     
     heart disease or
     
     
     
     
     
    high blood pressure
    Your blood pressure is considered to be high when it is above the accepted normal range. The usual limit for normal blood pressure is 140/90. If either the first (systolic) number is above 140 or the lower (diastolic) number is above 90, a person is considered to have high blood pressure. Doctors sometimes call high blood pressure "hypertension."
     
     
     
     
     
     high blood pressure, you might be more likely to get cataracts.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Klein BE, Klein R, Lee KE, et al.
    Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, selected cardiovascular disease risk factors, and the 5-year incidence of age-related cataract and progression of lens opacities: The Beaver Dam Eye study.
    American Journal of Ophthalmology. 1998. 126: 782-790.
     
     
     
     
     
     11 But other research has shown that people with heart disease aren't more likely to get cataracts.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Klein BE, Klein R, Lee KE, et al.
    Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, selected cardiovascular disease risk factors, and the 5-year incidence of age-related cataract and progression of lens opacities: The Beaver Dam Eye study.
    American Journal of Ophthalmology. 1998. 126: 782-790.
     
     
     
     
     
     11
  • Making less money or having less education. People who make more money and have more education are less likely to get the type of cataract called nuclear cataracts. But we don't know why.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Klein BEK, Klein R, Lee KE, et al.
    Socioeconomic and lifestyle factors and the 10-year incidence of age-related cataracts.
    American Journal of Ophthalmology. 2003; 136: 506-512.
     
     
     
     
     
     2
  • Being a woman. Slightly more women than men get cataracts. We don't know why.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    The Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
    Cataract surgery guidelines.
    Available at http://www.rcophth.ac.uk (accessed on 23 November 2009).
     
     
     
     
     
     12

Sources for the information on this page:
  1. Flaye DE, Sullivan KN, Cullinan TR, et al.Cataracts and cigarette smoking: the City Eye Study.Eye. 1989; 3: 379-384.
  2. Klein BEK, Klein R, Lee KE, et al.Socioeconomic and lifestyle factors and the 10-year incidence of age-related cataracts.American Journal of Ophthalmology. 2003; 136: 506-512.
  3. Taylor HR, West SK, Rosenthal FS, et al.Effect of ultraviolet radiation on cataract formation.New England Journal of Medicine. 1988; 319: 1429-1433.
  4. McCarty CA, Taylor HR.A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts.In: Hockwin O, Kojima M, Takahashi N, et al (editors). Progress in lens and cataract research. Karger, Basel, Switzerland; 2002. Developments in Ophthalmology. 2002; 35: 21-31.
  5. Congdon NG.Prevention strategies for age related cataract: present limitations and future possibilities.British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2001; 85: 5.
  6. Hiratsuka Y, Guohua L.Alcohol and eye diseases: a review of epidemiologic studies.Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 2001; 62: 397-402.
  7. Taylor H.Epidemiology of age-related cataract.Eye. 1999; 13: 445-448.
  8. Jobling AI, Augusteyn RC.What causes steroid cataracts? A review of steroid-induced posterior subcapsular cataracts.Clinical and Experimental Optometry. 2002; 85 (2): 61-75.
  9. Klein BE, Klein R, Lee KE, et al.Drug use and five-year incidence of age-related cataracts. The Beaver Dam Eye Study.Ophthalmology. 2001; 108: 1670-1674.
  10. Muller-Bretenkamp U, Hockwin O.Risk factors in cataract development: a review.In: Sasaki K, Hockwin O (editors). Distribution of cataracts in the population and influencing factors. Karger, Basel, Switzerland; 1991. Developments in Opthalmology. 1991; 21: 60-65.
  11. Klein BE, Klein R, Lee KE, et al.Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, selected cardiovascular disease risk factors, and the 5-year incidence of age-related cataract and progression of lens opacities: The Beaver Dam Eye study.American Journal of Ophthalmology. 1998. 126: 782-790.
  12. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists.Cataract surgery guidelines.Available at http://www.rcophth.ac.uk (accessed on 23 November 2009).
This information was last updated on Dec 08, 2009
BMJ Group
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2010. All rights reserved.
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