Diabetes sufferers have increased risk of developing cataracts: Manifestation of oxidative stress?

A study published in the journal Eye has found that people with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts compared to those who do not suffer from the condition.

• The study, led by researchers from Anglia Ruskin University, University of Basel, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, and Boston University School of Public Health, aimed to assess the risk of incident cataract in patients with or without diabetes.
• The authors looked at the medical records of 56,510 diabetes patients in the U.K. aged 40 and older.
• The data was collected from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, a database that includes around seven percent of the country’s population and is representative of the overall demographic with regard to age, sex, and geographic distribution. The researchers looked at data between 2000 and 2015 in order to identify the link between diabetes and cataracts, a known complication.
• They found that cataract was diagnosed at a total rate of 20.4 in every 1,000 individuals with diabetes.
• On the other hand, only 10.8 per 1,000 of the general population were diagnosed with cataracts, which is also associated with smoking and boozing.
• Moreover, it was found that people with diabetes aged between 45 and 54 were 4.6 times more at risk of developing cataract compared to non-diabetic people, while those aged between 50 and 54 were about six times more at risk of developing the disease.

In conclusion, the findings of the study indicated that people who suffer from diabetes are also more likely to suffer from cataract, with their risk being two times higher than individuals without diabetes.

Journal Reference:

Becker C, Schneider C, Aballéa S, Bailey C, Bourne R, Jick S, Meier C. CATARACT IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS—INCIDENCE RATES IN THE UK AND RISK FACTORS. Eye. 2018 Feb 1. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41433-017-0003-1