Cataract Surgery Doesn't Worsen AMD

(HealthDay News) -- Cataract surgery doesn't hasten vision loss in people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

That's the conclusion of a new study that challenges the findings of several large epidemiological studies that suggested a link between cataract surgery and accelerated AMD progression.

AMD and cataracts are leading causes of vision impairment in the United States. Both are related to aging and share other risk factors. AMD affects the retina and leads to loss of central vision. Cataract is cloudiness in the eye's lens that interferes with clear vision.




For the new study, Dr. Emily Y. Chew, of the U.S. National Eye Institute, and colleagues analyzed data from 4,577 participants (8,050 eyes), ages 55 to 81, who took part in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). The researchers compared the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration in people who had surgery to remove cataracts and in those who didn't have the surgery.

Chew and her team found little evidence that cataract surgery influences AMD progression. The study was published in the February issue of the journal Ophthalmology.

"These data may provide some reassurance to patients with AMD who are considering cataract surgery," Chew said in an American Academy of Ophthalmology news release.

Several possible factors may explain the conflicting conclusions of this new study and previous population-based research, Chew said. The most likely factor is that earlier studies may have had unintended biases or confounding variables. Chew also noted that cataract surgery and lens replacement techniques have advanced, and the AREDS participants' procedures were performed more recently than people included in earlier studies.

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The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about eye diseases.

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Age-Related Eye Disease on the Increase

(HealthDay News) -- Twice as many women as men in the United States are diagnosed with vision-threatening eye disease every year, but the numbers are increasing for both genders as the baby boomer generation enters its golden years, a newly updated report shows.

The study, from the Prevent Blindness America and the government-backed National Eye Institute, found that of more than 3.6 million Americans aged 40 and older who suffer from visual impairment, including blindness, 2.3 million are women. Potentially blinding diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy strike women in some cases almost twice as much as men.

"Some may be under the impression that losing vision is just a simple part of the aging process, but these numbers include many women in their 40s," Daniel D. Garrett, senior vice president of Prevent Blindness America, said in a prepared statement. "It's never too early to start caring for our eyes, and we strongly encourage women to make eye health a priority for themselves and their families today."

The report shows age-related eye disease has risen for both sexes, but especially among women, who represent more than 1.3 million of the more than 2 million Americans aged 50 and older that have age-related macular degeneration.

And, approximately 6 million women and 3 million men have moderate to severe symptoms of dry eye syndrome, a condition caused when not enough natural tears are produced, according to the National Women's Health Resource Center. Postmenopausal and pregnant women are most at risk because of hormonal fluctuations, and without proper lubrication, their corneas can become damaged.

"Fortunately, there is a simple way for women to protect their vision: Get regular eye care," Garrett said.

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Prevent Blindness America has more about eye disease.