This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

An Independent Predictor of Cataract

Robert J. Glynn, ScD; William G. Christen, ScD; JoAnn E. Manson, MD; Jonathan Bernheimer; Charles H. Hennekens, MD

Arch Ophthalmol. 1995;113(9):1131-1137.

Abstract
Objective
To examine whether body mass index is an independent predictor of cataract. (Body mass index is a standardized measure defined as weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters.)

Design
Prospective cohort study, with 5 years of followup.

Participants
A total of 17 764 US male physicians participating in the Physicians' Health Study, aged 40 to 84 years, who were free of cataract, myocardial infarction, stroke, and cancer at baseline and reported complete information about body mass index and other cataract risk factors.

Main Outcome Measure
Incident cataract, defined as a self-report, confirmed by medical record review, first diagnosed after randomization, age-related in origin, and responsible for a decrease in best corrected visual acuity to 20/30 or worse.

Results
Incident cataract occurred during follow-up in 370 participants. In proportional hazards models that adjusted for potential confounding variables, body mass index had a strong, graded relationship with risk of cataract. Relative to those with body mass index less than 22, relative risks (95% confidence intervals) associated with body mass index of 22 to less than 25, 25 to less than 27.8, and 27.8 or more were 1.54 (1.04 to 2.27), 1.46 (0.98 to 2.20), and 2.10 (1.35 to 3.25), respectively. Relative to any given level of body mass index, a 2-unit higher level predicted a 12% increase in risk of cataract (95% confidence interval, 5% to 19%). Higher body mass index was especially strongly related to risk of posterior subcapsular and nuclear sclerotic cataracts and was also significantly related to risk of cataract extraction.

Conclusions
In a prospective cohort study of apparently healthy men, higher body mass index, a potentially modifiable risk factor, was a determinant of cataract. The leanest men had the lowest rates, consistent with experimental evidence that restriction of energy intake slows development of cataract. Although precise mechanisms are unclear, the effect of body mass index on cataractogenesis is apparently independent of other risk factors, including age, smoking, and diagnosed diabetes.

Author Affiliations
From the Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (Drs Glynn, Christen, Manson, and Hennekens and Mr Bernheimer); Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health (Dr Hennekens); and Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School (Dr Hennekens).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

The Relationship Between Obesity, Physical Activity, and Physical Function in Older Adults
Riebe et al.
J Aging Health 2009;21:1159-1178.
ABSTRACT  

Relation of Age-related Cataract With Obesity and Obesity Genes in an Asian Population
Lim et al.
Am J Epidemiol 2009;169:1267-1274.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Prospective Epidemiological Cohort Study of Reduced Risk for Incident Cataract with Vigorous Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness during a 7-Year Follow-up
Williams
IOVS 2009;50:95-100.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Cystatin C, Other Markers of Kidney Disease, and Incidence of Age-Related Cataract
Klein et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2008;126:1724-1730.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Obesity in older adults: technical review and position statement of the American Society for Nutrition and NAASO, The Obesity Society
Villareal et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2005;82:923-934.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Body Mass Index and Age-Related Cataract: The Shihpai Eye Study
Kuang et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2005;123:1109-1114.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Lead Exposure and Cataract Risk in Men
Song
JAMA 2005;293:1724-1724.
FULL TEXT  

Lead Exposure and Cataract Risk in Men--Reply
Schaumberg and Hu
JAMA 2005;293:1724-1725.
FULL TEXT  

Weight status, abdominal adiposity, diabetes, and early age-related lens opacities
Jacques et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2003;78:400-405.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Risk factors for nuclear, cortical and posterior subcapsular cataracts in the Chinese population of Singapore: the Tanjong Pagar Survey
Foster et al.
Br J Ophthalmol 2003;87:1112-1120.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Lens Aging in Relation to Nutritional Determinants and Possible Risk Factors for Age-Related Cataract
Berendschot et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2002;120:1732-1737.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Postmenopausal Estrogen Use, Type of Menopause, and Lens Opacities: The Framingham Studies
Worzala et al.
Arch Intern Med 2001;161:1448-1454.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Relationship between Ocular Dimensions and Refraction with Adult Stature: The Tanjong Pagar Survey
Wong et al.
IOVS 2001;42:1237-1242.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Prevention strategies for age related cataract: present limitations and future possibilities
Congdon
Br J Ophthalmol 2001;85:516-520.
FULL TEXT  

Fat cat(aract)
Taylor and Moeller
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2000;72:1417-1418.
FULL TEXT  

Relations of body fat distribution and height with cataract in men
Schaumberg et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2000;72:1495-1502.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Anthropometric status and cataract: the Salisbury Eye Evaluation project
Caulfield et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999;69:237-242.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT