Myopia linked to higher cataract incidence

This analysis of the Blue Mountains Eye Study confirms the association between myopia and an increased risk of nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataract, and suggests that hyperopia may increase the risk of nuclear cataract.

The authors assessed the association between refractive error and the 10-year incidence of cataract and cataract surgery in patients from the Blue Mountains Eye Study.

Myopia was associated with an increased risk of nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataract, with high myopia conferring a three times greater risk of nuclear cataract and nearly eight times greater risk of posterior subcapsular cataract. Hyperopia was associated with an increased risk of nuclear cataract.

They write that various biological mechanisms may explain the association between cataract and refractive error, including vitreous syneresis, lower glutathione levels, and myopia’s potential damage to rod outer segments.