title: Seven-year incidence of age-related cataracts among an elderly Chinese population in Shihpai, Taiwan: The Shihpai Eye Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the 7-year incidence of age-related cataracts in a metropolitan Chinese elderly population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Shihpai Eye Study 2006 included 460 (55.8%) of 1361 participants in the 1999 baseline survey for a follow-up eye examination. Cataract was graded by one ophthalmologist using the Lens Opacities Classification System III.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 7-year incidence of pure nuclear opacity was 18.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.7%-24.3%)]; 34.7% (95% CI: 27.6%-41.8%) for cortical opacity; and 0.6% (95% CI: 0%-1.8%) for posterior subcapsular opacity. On the other hand, 11.6% (95% CI: 6.8%-16.4%) participants developed both nuclear and cortical opacity, 3.5% (95% CI: 0.8%-6.2%) nuclear and posterior subcapsular opacity; and 1.7% (95% CI: 0%-3.6%) cortical and posterior subcapsular opacity. A total of 3.5% (95% CI: 0.8%-6.2%) of participants developed all three types of cataract. Nuclear cataract was significantly associated with current smoking (P = 0.04; relative risk [RR]: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.05-3.99). Males were almost half as likely (P = 0.04; RR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.34-0.97) to develop cortical opacity, whereas participants with a history of diabetes were approximately twice as likely to develop cortical opacity (P = 0.05; RR 2.43; 95% CI: 1.02-5.81). A higher level of education (P = 0.03; RR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.18-0.91) and a higher body mass index (P = 0.02; RR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.10-0.79) was protective of posterior subcapsular cataract.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicated a high incidence of cortical opacities and lower incidence of nuclear opacities compared with Caucasians. Posterior subcapsular opacity incidence and cataract surgery rate were comparable.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Tung-Mei
authors: TM
authors: Kuang
authors: Su-Ying
authors: SY
authors: Tsai
authors: Catherine Jiu-Ling
authors: CJ
authors: Liu
authors: Yu-Chieh
authors: YC
authors: Ko
authors: Shui-Mei
authors: SM
authors: Lee
authors: Pesus
authors: P
authors: Chou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology*; D044466:Asian People; D002386:Cataract / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Chinese; age-related cataract; elderly; incidence