title: Risk of cataract for people with tuberculosis: results from a population-based cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease involving multiple organs, including the eyes. We examined the risk of cataract among patients with TB using population data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) system of Taiwan, we established a TB cohort with 6994 patients newly diagnosed between 2000 and 2010. For each TB patient, four subjects without TB were randomly selected for the non-TB cohort, frequency matched by age, sex and diagnosis years. The incidence of cataract was measured by the end of 2011. The hazard ratio (HR) of cataract was estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall incidence rate of cataract was 21% greater in the TB cohort than in the non-TB cohort (22.9 vs. 18.8/1000 person-years, P < 0.001), with an adjusted HR (aHR) of 1.26 (95%CI 1.16-1.37). Cataract incidence increased with age, and was higher in men than women and much higher for those with comorbidity. The hazard of cataract was higher in the first 6 months after TB diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TB patients are at elevated risk of developing cataract. Although the incidence decreased with time, the aHR remains statistically significant through the follow-up years.
authors: <sup>*</sup>Department of Ophthalmology.
authors: N-Y
authors: NY
authors: Hsia
authors: <sup>*</sup>Department of Ophthalmology.
authors: Y-H
authors: YH
authors: Ho
authors: <sup>†</sup>Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, <sup>‡</sup>Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chu Shang Show Chwan Hospital, Nantou, <sup>§</sup>Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung.
authors: T-C
authors: TC
authors: Shen
authors: <sup>¶</sup>Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors: C-L
authors: CL
authors: Lin
authors: <sup>†</sup>Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung.
authors: K-Y
authors: KY
authors: Huang
authors: <sup>†</sup>Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, <sup>§</sup>Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung.
authors: C-H
authors: CH
authors: Chen
authors: <sup>†</sup>Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung.
authors: C-Y
authors: CY
authors: Tu
authors: <sup>†</sup>Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung.
authors: C-M
authors: CM
authors: Shih
authors: <sup>†</sup>Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung.
authors: W-H
authors: WH
authors: Hsu
authors: <sup>§</sup>Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, <sup>¶</sup>Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors: F-C
authors: FC
authors: Sung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult