Hypertension and Diabetes Synergistically Strengthen the Association with Cataracts among Chinese: Implications for Clinical Practice and Public Health Policy

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-19-2020

Publication Title

International Eye Science

DOI

10.3980/j.issn.1672-5123.2020.10.02

ISSN

1672-5123

Abstract

AIM: To examine the relationship between age-related cataracts(ARC)and comorbid hypertension and diabetes.

METHODS: We analyzed the administrative records of 6 467 patients aged 50 years and older admitted to the ophthalmological department of a tertiary hospital from January 1st, 2011 to May 20th, 2017. With either eye considered, an ARC(n=3 343)was defined as the presence of lens opacity or previous cataract surgery without evidence of trauma, congenital anomalies or using certain medications. Patients admitted to the same department during the same period due to ocular traumas without clinical evidence of cataracts(n=379)were recruited as the cataract-free controls. Unconditional Logistic regressions were ran to obtain the odds ratio(OR)of hypertension and diabetes among ARC patients adjusted for age, sex and health care accessibility.

RESULTS: Hypertension was diagnosed in 29.54% of men with any type of cataracts, in 30.12% of men with an ARC, and 10.82% of men of cataract-free controls. Diabetes was diagnosed in 16.64% of men with any type of cataracts, in 16.48% of men with ARC and 4.22% of men of cataract-free controls. Similar patterns were observed among women. After adjusting for age, sex, and health care accessibility, hypertension was weakly \〖OR=1.83(95% CI: 1.23, 2.74)\〗 and diabetes was strongly \〖3.38(1.86, 6.15)\〗 associated with ARCs. The adjusted OR of comorbid hypertension and diabetes among adults with ARC was 18.20(4.38, 75.59).

CONCLUSION: Hypertension and diabetes were independently associated with ARC. Hypertension and diabetes, if co-existing, multiplicatively strengthened the association with ARC.

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