Five–Year’s Light Scattering Changes in Lens Layers in Diabetics– The Reykjavik Eye Study

Abstract

Purpose: : It has been reported that diabetes patients (DM) showed higher incidence of cortical and posterior subcapsular cataracts, however incidence of nuclear cataracts in DM remained unclear. This study focused on incidence of nuclear cataracts in DM. We investigated the relationship between five–year progression of light scattering intensity (LSI) and DM in participants of the Reykjavik Eye Study (RES).

Methods: : The 1045 subjects who participated in the RES in 1996 were followed up 5 years later. Of the 958 still alive, 846 or 88% participated again in 2001. Their mean age was 69.0 years old. After excluding aphakic and pseudophakic eyes, those with cortical opacities in the central 3 mm zone of the pupil and low quality photos, 610 cases remained (male: 278, female 332, average age 67.3). Only right eyes were analyzed. After maximum dilation of the pupil, lens LSI was documented using an anterior segment analysis system (EAS–1000, NIDEK) with Scheimpflug slit and retroillumination images. We analyzed LSI from slit images of the anterior capsule, anterior cortex, adult nucleus, anterior and posterior fetal nucleus and central clear zone. A logistic regression model was used for statistical analyses.

Results: : LSI increased in all lens layers after five years in both DM and non–DM subjects. Non–DM participants showed a significantly greater increase in LSI in the anterior fetal nucleus and central zone than did DM patients. The five–year increase in LSI in the anterior capsule, anterior cortex and anterior adult nucleus tended to be higher in the DM group, although this was not significant.

Conclusions: : DM reduced the progression of opacification in the lens nucleus. Factors associated with DM may protect against nuclear cataract formation.

Keywords: cataract • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence • imaging/image analysis: clinical