title: Age-related cataract.
abstract: Cataract, opacification of the lens, is one of the commonest causes of loss of useful vision, with an estimated 16 million people worldwide affected. Several risk factors have been identified in addition to increasing age--genetic composition, exposure to ultraviolet light, and diabetes. However, no method to halt the formation of a cataractous lens has been shown to be effective. Nevertheless, advances in surgical removal of cataracts, including small-incision surgery, use of viscoelastics, and the development of intraocular lenses, have made treatment very effective and visual recovery rapid in most cases. Despite these advances, cataract continues to be a leading public-health issue that will grow in importance as the population increases and life expectancy is extended worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1 Gustave L Levy Place, Box 1183, New York, NY 10029, USA. penny.asbell@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Penny A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Asbell
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dualan
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mindel
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brocks
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Epstein
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D002386:Cataract / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors