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Lens thickness and five-year cumulative incidence of cataracts: The Beaver Dam Eye Study
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 53705-2397, USA. kleinb@epi.ophth.wisc.edu
Purpose:
To evaluate whether lens thickness is related to incidence of cataracts.
Methods:
Lens thickness was measured from slit-lamp photographs of the lens at the time of the prevalence evaluation in the Beaver Dam Eye Study. Incident cataract was determined by grading standard slit-lamp and retroillumination photographs of the lens at the baseline and five-year follow-up examinations. Medical history was obtained and blood pressures, height and weight were measured according to protocol.
Results:
Lens thickness was positively associated with incident nuclear cataract and inversely associated with incident cortical cataract after accounting for age, sex, diabetes status, hypertension, heavy drinking and cigarette smoking.
Conclusions:
Lens thickness is related to incidence of cataracts. Mechanisms to explain these relationships require further laboratory and epidemiologic investigation.