Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the association between ambient air pollutants and cataracts in the general population aged 50 years or older using data from the Korean National Insurance Service—National Sample Cohort. Cataract patients were defined as those diagnosed by a physician and having undergone cataract surgery. After matching the average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO, SO2, and O3 in residential areas, the association between quartile level of air pollutants and incidence of cataract was analyzed using a multivariate Cox-proportional hazard risk model. Among the 115,728 participants, 16,814 (14.5%) were newly diagnosed with cataract and underwent related surgery between 1 January 2004, and 31 December 2015. Exposure to PM10, NO2, and SO2 was positively associated with cataract incidence, while O3 was negatively associated. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval was 1.069 (1.025–1.115) in PM10 and 1.080 (1.030–1.133) in NO2. However, the association between cataract and the quartile of PM2.5 measured during one year in 2015 was not clear. The HR of female participants aged 65 or older was significantly increased according to quartile of air pollutants. We identified exposure to PM10, NO2, SO2, and O3 associated with cataract development in Korean adults aged ≥ 50 years. This information may be helpful for policymaking to control air pollution as a risk factor for eye health.
Highlights
Cataract, opacification of the ocular lens, is one of the major causes of loss of useful vision [1].Globally, the number of people with a severe visual impairment from cataract is projected to be 220 million in 2020 [2]
We found a positive association between Particulate matter
In a subgroup analysis according to sex, we identified a distinctive association between female patients and cataract incidence
Summary
Opacification of the ocular lens, is one of the major causes of loss of useful vision [1]. The number of people with a severe visual impairment from cataract is projected to be 220 million in 2020 [2]. Blindness due to cataract increased from 10.9 million to 12.6 million between. The prevalence of blindness due to cataracts was found to vary by geographic region, ranging from 12.7% in North America to 42.0% in Southeast Asia [4]. In an analysis using insurance claims data, senile cataract was the most prevalent cause of hospital admission in South Korea in. As a leading public health issue, a cataract will become more important as the population increases and life expectancy is extended worldwide [1]
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