December 2002
Volume 43, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   December 2002
Estrogen and the Incidence of Cataract and Cataract surgery: The Blue Mountains Eye Study
C Younan; P Mitchell; RG Cumming; E Rochtchina
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • C Younan
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Sydney (Centre for Vision Research Westmead Hospital) Westmead Australia
  • P Mitchell
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Sydney (Centre for Vision Research Westmead Hospital) Westmead Australia
  • RG Cumming
    Department of Public Health and Community Medicine University of Sydney Sydney Australia
  • E Rochtchina
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Sydney (Centre for Vision Research Westmead Hospital) Westmead Australia
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   C. Younan, None; P. Mitchell, None; R.G. Cumming, None; E. Rochtchina, None. Grant Identification: Support: Australian NHMRC Grant #974159
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science December 2002, Vol.43, 936. doi:
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      C Younan, P Mitchell, RG Cumming, E Rochtchina; Estrogen and the Incidence of Cataract and Cataract surgery: The Blue Mountains Eye Study . Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2002;43(13):936.

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Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose:A number of epidemiological studies have shown an increased prevalence, with a few studies reporting an increased incidence, of cataract in women. The cause of the gender difference is not clear, but could be related to the hormonal differences between women and men. We aimed to assess the relationship between endogenous and exogenous estrogen exposure and the incidence of age-related cataract and cataract surgery. Methods:The Blue Mountains Eye Study examined 2072 women aged 49 years or older during the period 1992-4, and then 1343 (74.0%) of survivors after 5 years, during the period 1997-9. Baseline information on reproductive factors and use of hormone replacement therapy was collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Lens photographs were graded for presence and severity of cortical, nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataract using the Wisconsin Cataract Grading System. Participants with either no eyes or one eye affected at baseline were considered at risk of incident cataract or cataract surgery. Logistic regression models calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to assess associations by subject. Results:Women who had ever used hormone replacement therapy had a decreased incidence of cortical cataract compared to never users (OR 0.7, CI 0.4-1.0), as did women who had ever used oral contraceptives (OR 0.6, CI 0.4-0.9). Older age at menarche was associated with increased incidence of cataract surgery (OR 2.6, CI 1.3-5.2) and a significant trend for increasing incidence of nuclear cataract (p=0.04). There was also a significant trend for decreasing incidence of cataract surgery with increasing duration of reproductive years (p=0.008). Conclusion:These epidemiological data provide some evidence that the incidence of at least two types of age-related cataract and cataract surgery may be related to estrogen exposure. Although little benefit was found for use of postmenopausal estrogen replacement, a number of significant protective trends for a longer duration of reproductive years is suggestive of the potential benefits of estrogen on the lens.

Keywords: 338 cataract • 354 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence 
© 2002, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc., all rights reserved. Permission to republish any abstract or part of an abstract in any form must be obtained in writing from the ARVO Office prior to publication.
Copyright © 2024 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
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