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Published on: June 1, 2009
Lens changes and survival in a population-based study.
The New England Journal of Medicine
|December 5, 1985
Summary
Lens changes predict survival in individuals with diabetes. This study found that lens changes were associated with decreased survival in diabetic patients, but not in non-diabetic individuals.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology
- Diabetology
Background:
- The Framingham Heart Study, initiated in 1948, investigates cardiovascular disease risk factors.
- The Framingham Eye Study (1973-1975) examined ocular health in Heart Study participants.
- Lens changes are a common ocular finding, particularly in aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between lens changes and survival rates.
- To determine if lens changes are associated with mortality in a population-based cohort.
- To explore differential associations between lens changes and survival in diabetic versus non-diabetic individuals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from nearly 2000 participants from the Framingham Heart and Eye Studies.
- Employed proportional-hazards regression analyses to assess survival.
- Follow-up duration ranged from five to eight years, with 312 deaths recorded.
Main Results:
- An overall association between lens changes and decreased survival was observed (P = 0.01).
- No significant association was found between lens changes and survival in individuals without diabetes (P = 0.29).
- A significant association between lens changes and decreased survival was identified in individuals with diabetes (P = 0.001), with a more than twofold increased death rate.
Conclusions:
- Lens changes are significant predictors of mortality in diabetic individuals.
- Lens changes may serve as earlier indicators of mortality risk in diabetes compared to traditional variables like diabetes duration or retinopathy.
- Ocular health, specifically lens status, warrants consideration in assessing prognosis for diabetic patients.
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