Pseudoexfoliation and cataract surgery: A population-based 30-year follow-up study

Abstract

Purpose To study the relationship between pseudoexfoliation (PEX) and cataract surgery in a population in which PEX is a common finding. Methods Survival analyses were performed in a cohort of 760 residents 65-74 years of age, examined in a population survey in the municipality of Tierp, Sweden, during 1984-1986. To expand the cohort, participants in other studies in Tierp were enrolled. Additionally, subjects were recruited by means of glaucoma case records established at the Eye Department in Tierp in 1978-2007. In total, the cohort comprised 1471 individuals, representing more than 15 900 person-years of risk. Information on cataract surgery was obtained from the glaucoma case records and from medical records. Results By the end of the study in August 2014, 564 subjects had undergone cataract surgery. Of these cases, 224 were affected by PEX at baseline. In multivariate analyses, PEX was the second most important predictor for cataract surgery after lens opacities, accounting for a 2.38-fold (95% confidence interval 2.01-2.84) increased risk. Conclusion The results strongly suggest that PEX is a predictor for cataract surgery in the population under study.