title: Increasing risk of cataract in HCV patients receiving anti-HCV therapy: A nationwide cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with increased systemic oxidative stress, which leads to cardiovascular events, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Similarly, cataract is also associated with increased oxidative stress. The association between HCV infection and increased risk of cataract remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 11,652 HCV-infected patients and 46,608 age- and sex-matched non-HCV infected patients were identified during 2003-2011. All patient data were tracked until a diagnosis of cataract, death, or the end of 2011. Cumulative incidences and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up durations were 5.29 and 5.86 years for the HCV and non-HCV cohorts, respectively. The overall incidence density rate for cataract was 1.36 times higher in the HCV cohort than in the non-HCV cohort (1.86 and 1.37 per 100 person-y, respectively). After adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, and anxiety, patients with HCV infection had an increased risk of cataract compared with those without HCV infection [adjusted HR = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14-1.32]. HCV-infected patients receiving interferon-ribavirin therapy had a 1.83 times higher (95% CI = 1.40-2.38) risk of cataract than non-HCV infected patients did.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCV infection, even without the complication of cirrhosis, is associated with an increased risk of cataract, and this risk is higher in HCV-infected patients undergoing interferon-ribavirin therapy.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Division of Nephrology and Kidney Institute, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.|College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology and Kidney Institute, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Woei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Division of Nephrology and Kidney Institute, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Kuan
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Hsueh
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, China Medical University Hospital and China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wu-Huei
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Radiation Oncology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ji-An
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4170-7155
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents