Cataract Research Articles

HO-1-Mediated Autophagic Restoration Protects Lens Epithelial Cells Against Oxidative Stress and Cellular Senescence.

Oxidative stress and cellular senescence are risk factors for age-related cataract. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) is a critical antioxidant enzyme and related to autophagy. Here, we investigate the crosstalk among HO-1, oxidative stress, and cellular senescence in mouse lens epithelial cells (LECs). The gene expression of HO-1, p21, LC3, and p62 was measured in human samples. The protective properties of HO-1 were examined in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-damaged LECs. Autophagic flux was examined by Western blot and mRFP-GFP-LC3 assay. Western blotting and lysotracker staining were used to analyze lysosomal function. Flow cytometry was used to detect intracellular reactive oxygen species and analyze cell cycle. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase assay was used to determine cellular senescence. The crosstalk between HO-1 and transcription factor EB (TFEB) was further observed in TFEB-knockdown cells. The TFEB binding site in the promoter region of Hmox1 was predicted by the Jasper website and was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. HO-1 gene expression decreased in LECs of patients with age-related nuclear cataract, whereas mRNA expression levels of p21, LC3, and p62 increased. Upon H2O2-induced oxidative stress, LECs showed the characteristics of autophagic flux blockade, lysosomal dysfunction, and premature senescence. Interestingly, HO-1 significantly restored the impaired autophagic flux and lysosomal function and delayed cellular senescence. TFEB gene silencing greatly reduced the HO-1-mediated autophagic restoration, leading to a failure to prevent LECs from oxidative stress and premature senescence. We demonstrated HO-1 effects on restoring autophagic flux and delaying cellular senescence under oxidative stress in LECs, which are dependent on TFEB.

The Complications of Cataract Surgery in Patients with Pseudoexfoliation

Abstract The senile cataract represents the blurring of the crystalline lens after the age of 65. It occurs due to metabolic changes in the crystalline lens which occur over the years. The only effective way to treat cataract is the surgical one. Pseudoexfoliation is an age related systemic disorder. PEX represents the accumulation fibrillar material in the extracellular matrix of the tissue. The most known ocular manifestation of the PEX are the collection at iris pupillary margin and anterior lens capsule. This accumulation is associated with many intraoperative and postoperative complications in patients scheduled for cataract surgery. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of the surgical complications during phacoemulsfication in patients with PEX. The study included 91 patients scheduled for cataract surgery divided into two groups (PEX group 46, control group 45 patients). Poor intraoperative midryasis, zonular dehiscence, postoperative corneal edema, anterior chamber inflammation, elevated intraocular pressure and tear film instability had particularly higher rate of occurring in PEX group comparing to the control group (p<0.001). The highest mean value of intraocular pressure was observed in PEX group on the first postoperative day 25.6 ± 1.1 mmHg, while the best corrected visual acuity was measured in control group 0.71 ± 1.2 one month after phacoemulsification. Cataract surgery in patients with PEX carries great risk, but with adequate preoperative planning, the awareness of the potential complications, can provide safe and routine phacoemulification in these patients.

Audiovisual media effectiveness in post-cataract surgery care education in National Eye Center Cicendo Hospital

Currently, eye surgery is the only viable solution to reserve blindness in cataract patients. Nonetheless, post-cataract surgery care plays an important role in the effectiveness of cataract surgery. To ensure the success of post-cataract surgery, healthcare providers must support patients with adequate knowledge regarding post-cataract surgery care. In this study, we investigate the effectiveness of audiovisual media in post-cataract surgery care education on improving patients’ knowledge. This quasi-experimental study is designed with one group pre-test and post-test approach. We recruited a total of 58 participants aged ≥40 years with senile cataract diagnosis who underwent cataract surgery by phacoemulsification in one eye using local anesthesia or neurolept, with visual acuity in the unoperated eye ≥0.08, and without hearing loss. Participants were given complementary post-surgery education through audiovisual media for 7 minutes and participants were instructed to fill out the questionnaire about post-cataract surgery care prior to and after getting the complementary audiovisual media education. The collected data were analyzed using the frequency distribution analysis and Wilcoxon test. The findings suggest that the application of audiovisual media in post-cataract surgery care education significantly increases patients’ knowledge (p-value<0.001). This study concludes that providing education through audiovisual media is recommended for post-cataract surgery patients.

Lens Opacities Classification System III-Based Computational Model of Nuclear Cataracts

Lens Opacities Classification System III-Based Computational Model of Nuclear Cataracts

The Repeatability of Axial Length Measurements Using a Scheimpflug-based System.

To assess the repeatability of Pentacam AXL as a Scheimpflug-based system or measuring axial length according to the age, sex, lens type, axial length value, and type of cataract. The present study was conducted using multistage cluster sampling in Tehran, Iran. Ocular biometry was performed, using the Pentacam AXL, by an experienced optometrist on all the participants. The axial length (AL) measurements were taken thrice, with a gap of 10 minutes. To evaluate the repeatability, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the repeatability coefficient (RC) were calculated. To determine the significant difference in the repeatability index among study variables, the tolerance index (TI) was calculated. In this report, 897 eyes of 677 individuals aged between 20 and 91 years (mean SD: 64.90 13.62 years) were reported. The ICC of the axial length measurements was 0.981 for all cases. Based on the within-subject standard deviation, the RC was 0.401. The ICC was 0.976 and 0.985 in men and women, respectively. The TI showed better RC of measurements among females. The ICC decreased from 0.999 in participants under 40 years to 0.973 in individuals over 60 years of age. The TI showed a decrease in RC with advancing age. The RC was worse in eyes with nuclear cataracts; the RC was also worse in the first quartile of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to the other SNR quartiles. The Scheimpflug-based systemPentacam AXL had high repeatability in measuring axial length. Some variables such as male gender, older age, and nuclear cataract were associated with reduced repeatability of the measurements. A higher SNR was associated with better repeatability of the axial length measurements.

Dissecting causal associations of type 2 diabetes with 111 types of ocular conditions: a Mendelian randomization study.

Despite the well-established findings of a higher incidence of retina-related eye diseases in patients with diabetes, there is less investigation into the causal relationship between diabetes and non-retinal eye conditions, such as age-related cataracts and glaucoma. We performed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to examine the causal relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 111 ocular diseases. We employed a set of 184 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that reached genome-wide significance as instrumental variables (IVs). The primary analysis utilized the inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method, with MR-Egger and weighted median (WM) methods serving as supplementary analyses. The results revealed suggestive positive causal relationships between T2DM and various ocular conditions, including "Senile cataract" (OR= 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.11; P=7.77×10-4), "Glaucoma" (OR= 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.13; P=4.81×10-3), and "Disorders of optic nerve and visual pathways" (OR= 1.10; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.23; P=7.01×10-2). Our evidence supports a causal relationship between T2DM and specific ocular disorders. This provides a basis for further research on the importance of T2DM management and prevention strategies in maintaining ocular health.

Imaging analysis of the biological parameters of the lens in patients with cortical age-related cataracts using ultrasound biomicroscopy

BackgroundThe spatial position of the lens in patients with cortical age-related cataract (CARC) is unclear. We investigated a basis for the assessment of visual quality after cataract surgery by analysing the ultrasound biomicroscopic characteristics of the biological parameters of the lens in patients with CARC.MethodsIn this retrospective study, 119 patients (50 males and 69 females, totalling 238 eyes) with CARC who underwent simple cataract surgery were selected. The lens thickness (LT), axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens vault (LV), trabecular-iris angle (TIA), iris-lens angle (ILA), iris-lens contact distance (ILCD) were measured by A-scan ultrasound and ultrasound biomicroscopy. The corresponding lens position (LP) and relative lens position (RLP) were calculated.ResultsLP was greater in men than in women (P < 0.05), LV was smaller in men than in women (P = 0.002), ILA and ILCD were not statistically significant (P = 0.072 and P = 0.854, respectively). There were significant differences in TIA, ILA, and ILCD in the four quadrants (all P < 0.05), with a trend in the distribution of TIA: superior < inferior < nasal < temporal, ILA: nasal < inferior < temporal < superior, and ILCD: superior < temporal < inferior < nasal.ConclusionsThe lens protrudes more obviously in females than in males and the lens tilts to a certain extent with the increase of age and tends to be more upward and temporal in the supine position. Therefore, trends in lens-related parameters in patients with CARC should be taken seriously.

Association of nuclear cataract prevalence with UV radiation and heat load in lens of older people -five city study.

Epidemiological studies have reported that the frequency of nuclear cataracts (NUCs) is high among the elderly and in tropical countries. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and lens temperature are considered as key physical contributors, although their precise quantification is difficult. The aim of this study is to investigate the association of NUC prevalence with UV irradiation and heat load. First, we assessed the lens temperature using thermodynamic modeling considering the thermophysiological response. We then conducted a multivariate linear regression analysis for the epidemiological analysis of NUC prevalence across five cities. A strong correlation was observed between NUC prevalence and the combined effects of UV irradiation and cumulative equivalent minutes at 43°C (CEM43°C) derived from the computed lens temperature (adjusted R2 = 0.933, p < 0.0001). Heat load significantly contributed to the prevalence at 52%, surpassing the contributions of UV irradiation (31%) and the decline in DNA repair capacity in the lens (17%). These results suggested that both UV radiation and heat load are associated with NUC, with heat load contributing more. Our findings provided important implications for future interventions, particularly in the context of global warming.

Association of APOE Haplotypes With Common Age-Related Ocular Diseases in 412,171 Individuals.

Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4), a known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, has controversially been associated with reduced risk of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Here, we sought to systematically quantify the associations of APOE haplotypes with age-related ocular diseases and to assess their scope and age-dependency. We included genetic and registry data from 412,171 Finnish individuals in the FinnGen study. Disease endpoints were defined using nationwide registries. APOE genotypes were directly genotyped using Illumina and Affymetrix arrays or imputed using a custom Finnish reference panel. We evaluated the disease associations of APOE genotypes containing ε2 (without ε4) and ε4 (without ε2) compared with the ε3ε3 genotype using logistic regressions stratified by age. APOE ε4 enriched haplotypes were inversely associated with overall glaucoma (odds ratio [OR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.92-0.99, P = 0.0047), and its subtypes POAG (OR = 0.95, P = 0.027), normal-tension glaucoma (OR = 0.87, P = 0.0058), and suspected glaucoma (OR = 0.95, P = 0.014). Individuals with the ε4 allele also had lower odds for AMD (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.76-0.84, P < 0.001), seen both in dry and neovascular subgroups. A slight negative association was also detected in senile cataract, but this was not reproducible in age-group analyses. Our results support prior evidence of the inverse association of APOE ε4 with glaucoma, but the association was weaker than for AMD. We could not show an association with exfoliation glaucoma, supporting the hypothesis that APOE may be involved in regulating retinal ganglion cell degeneration rather than intraocular pressure.

Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, a disorder far from solved.

Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (RTS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a range of clinical symptoms, including poikiloderma, juvenile cataracts, short stature, sparse hair, eyebrows/eyelashes, nail dysplasia, and skeletal abnormalities. While classically associated with mutations in the RECQL4 gene, which encodes a DNA helicase involved in DNA replication and repair, three additional genes have been recently identified in RTS: ANAPC1, encoding a subunit of the APC/C complex; DNA2, which encodes a nuclease/helicase involved in DNA repair; and CRIPT, encoding a poorly characterized protein implicated in excitatory synapse formation and splicing. Here, we review the clinical spectrum of RTS patients, analyze the genetic basis of the disease, and discuss molecular functions of the affected genes, drawing some novel genotype-phenotype correlations and proposing avenues for future studies into this enigmatic disorder.

Correlation of Serum Electrolytes with Senile Cataract in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Populations in Central India

Correlation of Serum Electrolytes with Senile Cataract in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Populations in Central India

Femtosecond laser LenSx–assisted phacoemulsification of mature intumescent cataract

Background: Phacoemulsification (phaco) of mature intumescent cataract is one of the most difficult to perform anterior eye surgeries. In mature intumescent cataract phaco, the most difficult phase is performing a continuous capsulorhexis which should be as round as possible. The incidence of an anterior capsular tear during capsulorhexis has been reported to range from 0.8 to 5.0% and increases with an increase in cataract density. This is because in dense intumescent cataracts, capsulorhexis tends to extend to the periphery due to high intracapsular pressure. Femtosecond laser–assisted phaco of mature intumescent cataract enables a safe laser-assisted capsulotomy with a substantially reduced risk of intraoperative complications. Because this approach is as yet not widely used in ophthalmology, we aimed to share our experience in the use of femtosecond laser in phacoemulsification of mature and intumescent cataracts. Purpose: To assess the efficacy of femtosecond laser–assisted treatment of mature intumescent cataract. Methods: Sixty-five patients (68 eyes) with mature intumescent senile cataract underwent femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and were involved in this study. Results: In 55 eyes (80.8%), laser capsulotomy of the desired diameter (5.0 mm) was performed completely. In 8 eyes (11.7%), capsular bridges (capsular tissue remnants at the site of laser-assisted cut of the anterior capsule) were seen. In addition, after the laser phase of surgery, 3 eyes (4.4%) showed an irregularly shaped anterior capsular disc due to the failure of the laser to cut through the capsule in several regions. In all study eyes, the IOL was well centered in the bag. Conclusion: In eyes with mature intumescent cataract, it is reasonable to use the femtosecond laser for a safe and accurate anterior capsulorhexis to avoid the severe intraoperative complications (those associated with posterior capsular rapture and vitreous prolapse) that can be seen during manual capsulorhexis.

Katlanabilir Göz İçi Lens İmplantasyonunda Viskoimplantasyon ve Hidroimplantasyon Tekniklerinin Anatomik ve Fonksiyonel Sonuçlarının Karşılaştırılması

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the anatomical and functional results of viscoimplantation and hydroimplantation techniques in monofocal foldable intraocular lens implantation.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: The study included 387 patients older than 50 years who underwent surgery for senile cataract. They were divided into two subgroups as hydroimplantation (group 1) and viscoimplantation (group 2).&#x0D; Results: The mean implantation time was 397.5±44.3 s in group 1 and 580±105.1 s in group 2. During the follow-up period (12 months), 4 (2.1%) patients in group 1 and 28 (14.6%) patients in group 2 developed posterior capsular opacification. The implantation time was shorter and the rate of posterior capsular opacification was lower in group 1 compared to group 2 (p

Quality of life assessment for nuclear, cortical, posterior subcapsular patients before and after cataract surgery

PurposeThe impact of visual outcomes of cataract surgery can be measured using a questionnaire. The aim of our study was to evaluate how patient quality of life changes after cataract surgery and if there are differences between the responses of patients with nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular cataracts, which has not been studied before. MethodWe studied 210 cataract patients who were divided into 3 cataract groups based on their cataract type: nuclear (n = 80), cortical (n = 70), and posterior subcapsular (PSC) (n = 60). The patients completed the Visual Function Index (VF-14) questionnaire before, 2 weeks and 1 month after bilateral cataract surgery. The results were analysed using one-way ANOVA (significance level 5 %) and were compared over time and between the cataract groups. ResultsBefore the cataract surgery, cortical cataract patients had the lowest questionnaire score compared to nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataract groups (p = 0.08). After cataract surgery, cortical cataract patients experienced the greatest improvement in near distance daily activities, while PSC cataract patients experienced the greatest improvement in far distance daily activities (p = 0.38). Before surgery, nuclear cataract patients had the highest questionnaire scores compared to the other cataract groups (p = 0.08). ConclusionAt the 1 month follow-up, there were no statistically significant differences in questionnaire scores between the cataract groups for any of the questions. Overall, cortical cataract patients showed a trend to experience the greatest subjective improvement in quality of life after cataract removal, followed by nuclear and posterior subcapsular patients.

Vitamin E and Supplements Offer Eye Neuroprotection – Myth or Reality?

Background: Several studies suggested that nutrition might have an effect on eye health. Although exposure to nutrients is ubiquitous, on the other hand without it, we generally cannot survive and an exposure too high or too low causes health problems. Vitamins are a good example and the ubiquitous exposure to vitamins has led to many epidemiological studies for many diseases, including glaucoma.&#x0D; Abstract: Leading causes of vision loss include several eye conditions such as cataract and glaucoma. The role of nutritional supplementation to prevent the progression of ocular disease is of great interest to health care professionals. It is recognized that the crystalline lens and retina suffer oxidative damage and the most protective agents are anti-oxidant vitamins A, C and E. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), found that supplementation with vitamins C and E, reduced the risk of developing various ocular diseases. The RDA for vitamin E is 15 mg/day α-tocopherol for both women and men. Vitamin E exists naturally in nuts and seeds, in addition to dark leafy vegetables. In a recent study reported lower plasma levels of vitamin E in POAG subjects.&#x0D; Conclusion: In conclusion, exposure to nutrients although is ubiquitous, without it, in general we cannot survive. Conflicting evidence is presented for vitamins A and E in prevention of ocular disease. A number of epidemiological studies showed an increased risk of nuclear or cortical cataract in people with low blood levels of vitamin E. Furthermore, a number of studies suggested that nutrition might have an effect on the intraocular pressure (IOP) or glaucoma, arbitrated by oxidative stress.

Assessment of the Progression of Public Investments in Cataract Surgery in Brazil

Objective: To evaluate the progression of public investments in cataract surgery in Brazil and its correlation with the growth of the elderly population and the Gross Domestic Product (PIB) between 2010 and 2021. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of data collected in public databases recording surgical procedures and the amounts invested per surgery to treat senile cataracts, performed per year and by region by the Unified Health System in 2010 and 2021. Results: The number of cataract surgeries performed by Brazil’s public health system increased from 356,088 in 2010 to 640,408 in 2021, an increase of 79.77%, while the population over 60 years old increased by 50.08%. The increase in the number of surgeries resulted from the greater public investments in the area (increase of 26.61% in corrected values), which was consistent with the increase in Gross Domestic Product (PIB) during the period (30.88% in corrected values).

Dehydroalanine and dehydrobutyrine in aging and cataractous lenses reveal site-specific consequences of spontaneous protein degradation.

Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) have been associated with aging and age-related diseases. PTMs are particularly impactful in long-lived proteins, such as those found in the ocular lens, because they accumulate with age. Two PTMs that lead to protein-protein crosslinks in aged and cataractous lenses are dehydroalanine (DHA) and dehydrobutyrine (DHB); formed from cysteine/serine and threonine residues, respectively. The purpose of this study was to quantitate DHA and DHB in human lens proteins as a function of age and cataract status. Human lenses of various ages were divided into five donor groups: transparent lenses (18-22-year-old, 48-64-year-old, and 70-93-year-old) and cataractous human lenses of two age groups (48-64-year-old lenses, and 70-93-year-old lenses) and were subjected to proteomic analysis. Relative DHA and DHB peptide levels were quantified and compared to their non-modified peptide counterparts. For most lens proteins containing DHA or DHB, higher amounts of DHA- and DHB-modified peptides were detected in aged and cataractous lenses. DHA-containing peptides were classified into three groups based on abundance changes with age and cataract: those that (1) increased only in age-related nuclear cataract (ARNC), (2) increased in aged and cataractous lenses, and (3) decreased in aged lenses and ARNC. There was no indication that DHA or DHB levels were dependent on lens region. In most donor groups, proteins with DHA and DHB were more likely to be found among urea-insoluble proteins rather than among water- or urea-soluble proteins. DHA and DHB formation may induce structural effects that make proteins less soluble in water that leads to age-related protein insolubility and possibly aggregation and light scattering.

The Affects of Smoking on Cataract Formation in Turkish Patients

Aims: To investigate whether smoking influences cataract formation age and cataract type in patients who underwent senile cataract surgery.&#x0D; Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Department Of Ophthalmology, Ahi Evran Faculty Of Medicine between November 2014 and March 2018.&#x0D; Methodology: Five hundred eighty-one patients were included, who were operated on for senile cataracts. Age, gender, cataract type, and smoking status of patients were recorded. Congenital, traumatic, drug-induced, and uveitic cataracts were excluded from the study. The smoking status of patients was divided into three groups: currently smoking, never smoking, quitted smoking. The smoking load of patients was calculated as packages/year.&#x0D; Results: Of total of 581 patients, 47.8% (278) were female and 52.2% (303) were male and the mean ages were 66.68 ± 10.68 years and 66.17 ± 9.37 years, respectively. There was an association between gender and smoking status (p&lt;0.05). Smoking rate (both currently smoking and quit smoking) was higher among males. The mean age of cataract patients who were smokers was statistically lower than the mean ages of non-smokers and quitters (p &lt;0.001). There was a statistical association between cataract type of patients and smoking status (p=0.0152). This resulted from a lower incidence of cortical cataracts and higher incidence of posterior subcapsular and nuclear cataracts in smokers. Among these three groups, cortical cataract was the most frequent in the non-smoker group. It was found that smoking increases the posterior subcapsular cataract, but it has less effect on cortical cataract formation.&#x0D; Conclusion: Smoking causes cataract formation in younger ages and higher posterior subcapsular cataract rate. We suggest that this finding may prevent beginning of smoking and increase the motivation of individuals to quit smoking.

Anterior Chamber / Iris / Pupil / Lens Related Complications in Vitreoretinal Surgery

Pars plana vitrectomy is usually performed to remove vitreous opacities, reduce vitreoretinal traction, restore the normal anatomical relationship between the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and reach the subretinal space. This surgical method involves an approach in which 3 ports (sometimes 4) are placed 3-4 mm posterior to the surgical limbus, depending on the condition of the crystalline lens. Complications related to conjunctiva, sclera, cornea and lens can be seen after or after vitrectomy surgery. Nuclear sclerotic cataract is the most common complication of vitrectomy. Cataracts may develop in up to 90% of phakic eyes in patients older than 50 years of age within 3-6 months after vitrectomy. There may also be refraction changes, iris defects, and an increased risk of long-term open-angle glaucoma.

Исследование факторов риска развития катаракты нерадиационной природы у лиц, подвергшихся хроническому радиационному воздействию

Relevance. Epidemiological data have revealed a significant association between exposure to ionizing radiation, loss of lens optical function, and cataract formation. Cataract is a multifactorial disease that is traditionally associated with age, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, diabetes, smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity, steroid hormones, hypertension, etc. The chronic nature of the effects of radiation on the body, including both cell damage and regenerative processes, complicates the issue of assessment of the nature and magnitude of the dose-dependence of effects. Purpose. To investigate the potential risk factors of cataract development in different morphological layers, depending on social conditions and several diseases (non-radiation factors) in the population affected by two radiation accidents (dumping of radioactive waste into the Techa River and the East Ural Radioactive Trace) in the Southern Urals. Material and methods. The data from an in-depth examination of patients by an ophthalmologist in the Clinical Department of the URCRM were analyzed. The study involved 1377 patients. The «case» and «control» groups, comparable in sex and age, were selected from the general population. The impact of each factor was assessed on the basis of the Odds Ratio (OR) indicator. Risk factors associated with the development of cataracts in different layers of the lens included arterial hypertension, body mass index, age at the onset of exposure, level of education, alcohol consumption, smoking, ethnicity. Results. An increased risk of developing cataracts in the lens nucleus (1st sample: OR=0.54 (1st sample: 95% CI: 0.34–0.86; 2nd sample: OR=0.51 (95% CI: 0.32–0.82) (p&lt;0.05)) and the intensity of its color (1st sample: OR=0.48 (95% CI: 0.29–0.80); 2nd sample: OR=0.56 (95% CI: 0.34–0.94) (p&lt;0.05)) was established in persons who were at the age over 6 at the onset of exposure. Conclusion. The analysis did not reveal a statistically significant relationship of changes in the cortical layers, the nucleus and the posterior capsule of the lens with other studied risk factors in persons exposed to chronic radiation at a low to medium dose range. There was an increased risk of cataract development in the lens nucleus and the intensity of its color in persons who began to be exposed at the age of over 6 years. Key words: risk factors, cortical cataract, nuclear cataract, posterior subcapsular cataract, chronic exposure