Cataract Rate in Men Increases with Height, Waist Size and BMI
Cataract Rate in Men Increases with Height, Waist Size and BMI
Across the globe Cataracts are the leading cause of preventable blindness, and cataract surgery is among the most common surgical procedures in people over 65 years of age in the United States. Last year, 2,775,000 procedures were performed in the U.S. A cataract is the clouding of the normally clear, natural crystalline lens of the eye. As cataracts increase in size and density, they reduce the amount of light passing through the lens, which results in blindness if not treated. With modern cataract treatment Las Vegas physicians like Dr. Paul Hiss surgically remove the damaged lens and replace it with an artificial one.
In a 14 year study performed by Debra Schaumberg and other prominent physicians it was found that greater height and waist size ratio were proven independent risk factors for cataracts in men. Cataracts are a major public health problem in the United States, with an incidence of 20% of people aged 65-74 and 50% of people aged 75+.
After adjustment for age, lifestyle and other factors, men with the highest waist-to-hip ratios (WHR) were 1.55 times more likely to develop cataracts as those with the lowest WHR. The tallest men in the study (at least 6 feet and taller) were 1.23 times more likely to develop cataract than shorter men, and 1.5 times more likely to undergo cataract surgery. Chief surgeon for Eye Care Associates of Nevada Dr. Paul Hiss regularly performs Las Vegas cataract surgery on patients of a similar nature.
The 17,150 participants of this study were a subset of the larger Physician's Health Study. All subjects were healthy male U.S. physicians aged 40-84 in 1982 and were grouped into samples based on their BMI, height, and WHR. The subjects self-reported any and all incidents of cataract and cataract surgery which were then confirmed with medical records. Higher BMI, greater height, and higher WHR were consistently associated with a greater relative risk of cataract, even when adjusting for as many as eight potentially confusing variables.
Las Vegas Cataract specialist Dr. Hiss, along with the authors of the study suggests a possible genetic susceptibility in the case of height. WHR, which was consistently associated with higher risk of cataract in the study, is a valid measure of abdominal fat which is also a strong risk factor for Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Diabetes causes earlier cataract formation, and thus several pathways are suggested to account for the relationship between abdominal fat deposition and development of cataracts.
Information supplied by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition. This information should not be construed as medical advice. For more information, consult your local Las Vegas Cataract Surgeon. To see the complete text of this article, please go to: http://www.faseb.org/ajcn/December/(11579)-Schaumberg.PDF or http:// www.faseb.org/ajcn/December/(12242)-Taylor.PDF
*Schaumberg, Debra et al. Relations of body fat distribution and height with cataract in men. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:1495-1502.