title: Growth of the human lens in the Indian adult population: preliminary observations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The eye lens grows throughout life by the addition of new cells inside the surrounding capsule. How this growth affects the properties of the lens is essential for understanding disorders such as cataract and presbyopia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine growth of the human lens in the Indian population and compare this with the growth in Western populations by measuring in vitro dimensions together with wet and dry weights.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at the research wing of a tertiary eye care center in South India and the study design was prospective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lenses were removed from eye bank eyes and their dimensions measured with a digital caliper. They were then carefully blotted dry and weighed before being placed in 5% buffered formalin. After 1 week fixation, the lenses were dried at 80 °C until constant weight was achieved. The constant weight was noted as the dry weight of the lens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lens parameters were analyzed as a function of age using linear and logarithmic regression methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were obtained for 251 lenses, aged 16-93 years, within a median postmortem time of 22 h. Both wet and dry weights increased linearly at 1.24 and 0.44 mg/year, respectively, throughout adult life. The dimensions also increased continuously throughout this time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over the age range examined, lens growth in the Indian population is very similar to that in Western populations.
authors.affiliation: Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Ashik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Virender S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Sangwan
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Augusteyn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002102:Cadaver; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D011305:Presbyopia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult