Dehydrational crises from severe diarrhoea or heatstroke and risk of cataract

The first of a series of epidemiological studies in progress in India has shown a strong association between risk of cataract and remembered episodes of dehydrational crises from severe cholera-like diarrhoeal disease. The findings suggest that severe diarrhoea is a major risk factor in early development of cataract and might account for about 36% of cases in the study area.