Men and women face unique cataract risks, study finds

Although lifestyle factors like alcohol consumption and unemployment increase cataract risk more for men, systemic health issues such as high socioeconomic status and metabolic syndrome are more strongly associated with cataract risk in women, according to a study.

Utilizing data from 117,972 participants in the UK Biobank, researchers explored how social, lifestyle, and physical health factors contribute to cataract development differently in men and women.

The study identified 4172 cases of cataracts over the follow-up period, with 54.8% of these being females. The data found that women had a higher crude incidence rate of cataracts (35.06 per 10,000 person-years) compared to men (29.15 per 10,000 person-years). Both genders exhibited increased cataract risk associated with factors such as ethnicity, smoking, obesity, diabetes, and myopia.

However, distinct sex-based differences were noted. Males faced higher cataract risks linked to alcohol consumption and unemployment, while women were more affected by high socioeconomic status, elevated blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome. This suggests that while lifestyle factors play a significant role in cataract development for men, systemic health conditions have a stronger impact on women.

These findings emphasize the need for gender-specific approaches in cataract prevention and management.

Reference
Xu Y, Liang A, Zheng X, et al. Sex-specific social, lifestyle, and physical health risk factors in cataracts development. Eye (Lond). 2024;doi: 10.1038/s41433-024-03193-z. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39075262.