Skin disease and age-related cataract

Abstract

Dermatological conditions and treatments were analysed in a study comparing cataract patients and stringently matched controls. One thousand patients were taken from the cataract waiting list of a specialist eye hospital. For each patient a matched control of the same gender, half-decade of age, and family doctor but without cataract was selected. Venepunctures and eye examinations were performed on both patients and controls; in addition, questionnaire information was obtained from each. Age-related cataract is significantly associated with dermatological abnormality and its treatment, the former association being more significant and more pronounced after 69 years of age. The association of hydrocortisone use after 69 years of age and cataract, however, remains significant even after adjustments for dermatological abnormality and steroid use, suggesting that even among steroid medications hydrocortisone is particularly strongly associated with cataract.