title: Iris color and cataract: the Blue Mountains Eye Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between eye color and cataract.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based cross-sectional study (N = 3654) was conducted near Sydney, Australia. Lens photographs were graded for cortical, nuclear, and posterior subcapsular cataract. Iris color was assessed at slit-lamp examination by comparison with four photographic standards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eyes with dark brown irises were more likely to have nuclear (adjusted odds ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 to 2.28) or posterior subcapsular cataract (adjusted odds ratio, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.57 to 3.98) than eyes with lighter-colored irises.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People with dark brown eyes are at increased risk of cataract and should be encouraged to protect their eyes from direct exposure to sunlight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. bobc@pub.health.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Cumming
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D002386:Cataract / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005127:Eye Color; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007498:Iris; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology; D007904:Lens Cortex, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology; D007907:Lens Nucleus, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010781:Photography; D012307:Risk Factors