Eye disease cataract by smoking

Eye Disease: Smoking favors cataracts

03/17/2014

Smokers are more frequently operated on as non-smokers for cataracts. This is what researchers from Sweden found out.

Smokers are often operated on for cataracts
Smokers often have to undergo surgery for cataracts as non-smokers. This is from a report of „pharmacy magazine“ (3/2014 B). The magazine refers to researchers from the University Hospital Örebro (Sweden). The scientists analyzed data from 44,371 Swedish men. According to the information, 5,713 participants underwent a star operation twelve years after the first interview. Of which active smokers are 42 percent more likely than lifelong non-smokers. Although the risk was reduced by smoking cessation, even after 20 years without cigarettes, ex-smokers still had a 21 percent higher risk than non-smokers.

800,000 operations a year
Cataracts cause opacity of the eye lens. Most of the disease begins at an advanced age and can lead to blindness if left untreated. The only effective treatment option is an operation that removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with a new, artificial lens. According to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) around 800,000 corresponding operations are carried out annually. As a rule, these could be performed on an outpatient basis and lasted only 20 to 30 minutes. (Sb)