Risk factor for Cataracts in Postmenopausal Women. The University of Oxford “Million Women Study”.
A recent study conducted at the University of Oxford including a total of 1.312.051 women in the UK, aged 56 years on average were followed for cataracts needing surgery.
Women with diabetes were at greatest risk (almost 3 times highter vs. no diabetes). Other factors associated with an increased risk of cataract surgery were current smoking (current smokers of ≥15 cigarettes/day vs. never smokers had twice an increased risk ) and obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30).
Alcohol use, physical activity, reproductive history, and use of hormonal therapies had little, if any, protective association with cataract surgery risk.
Source: Floud S, Kuper H, Reeves GK, Beral V, Green J.
Ophthalmology 2016;123:1704-10.