Surveillance of cataract in active component service members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2000-2013

A cataract is an opacity of the lens that is associated with risk factors such as aging, trauma, cigarette smoking, and exposure to excessive ultraviolet rays from sunlight. Cataracts most commonly affect individuals aged 40 years and older; however, military members can have occupational exposures (e.g., eye injury) that may make them susceptible to developing cataracts at an earlier age. During the 14-year surveillance period (2000-2013), there were 22,418 cases of cataract diagnosed in active component service members; the female-to-male rate ratio was 1.2. Older service members and service members in the Army (128.7 per 100,000 person-years [p-yrs]) had the highest incidence rate of cataract from all causes while the Marine Corps (63.1 per 100,000 person-years [p-yrs]) had the lowest incidence rate. Interestingly, the Marine Corps had the highest incidence rate of traumatic cataract compared to the other Services (10.2 per 100,000 p-yrs).