Takeaway
- The risk for cataract diagnosis is approximately 2-fold higher in patients with diabetes than among diabetes-free patients, particularly at young age.
Why this matters
- Previous studies have reported diabetes as a risk factor for cataract; however, only few studies have been conducted with data from the United Kingdom.
Key results
- In patients with diabetes, the incidence rates (IRs) of cataract were 20.4 (95% CI, 19.8-20.9) per 1000 person-years, whereas it was 10.8 (95% CI, 10.5-11.2) per 1000 person-years in control patients.
- Around the age of 80 years, the IRs increased considerably in patients with diabetes with a diagnosis of macular oedema and the IR ratio was highest in the age group 45-54 years.
- Nested case-control study showed that the risk for cataract increased with increasing duration of diabetes (aOR, 5.14; 95% CI, 4.19-6.30 for ≥10 years).
- With higher HbA1c level, the risk for a cataract diagnosis increased, and for the highest HbA1c level, the risk increased by 20% (P<.0001).
Study design
- Retrospective observational study used data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, and included newly diagnosed patients with diabetes (n=56,510) and equal number of matched control patients.
- Researchers assessed cataract IRs and performed nested case-control analysis among patients with diabetes (cataract cases, n=5800; controls, n= 21,432).
- Funding: Alimera Science Ltd.
Limitations
- No differentiation between types of cataract.
- No validation on cataract diagnosis cases.
References
References
