Alcohol Consumption and the Long-Term Incidence of Cataract and Cataract Surgery: The Blue Mountains Eye Study

Kanthan, Gowri L.; Mitchell, Paul; Burlutsky, George; Wang, Jie Jin

doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2010.04.020

« Previous Next »American Journal of Ophthalmology
Volume 150, Issue 3 , Pages 434-440.e1, September 2010

Alcohol Consumption and the Long-Term Incidence of Cataract and Cataract Surgery: The Blue Mountains Eye Study

Gowri L. Kanthan
- Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Paul Mitchell
- Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
George Burlutsky
- Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Jie Jin Wang
- Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Eye Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Inquiries to Jie Jin Wang, Center for Vision Research, Westmead Hospital, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, Sydney, Australia 2145

Accepted 21 April 2010. published online 08 July 2010.

Purpose

To assess whether alcohol consumption is associated with the long-term incidence of cataract or cataract surgery.

Design

Population-based prospective cohort study.

Methods

A total of 3654 persons aged 49+ years were examined at baseline and 2564 were re-examined after 5 and/or 10 years. Lens photographs were taken at each visit and assessed using the Wisconsin Cataract Grading System by masked graders. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on alcohol consumption.

Results

No significant associations were observed between alcohol consumption and long-term risk of nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular cataract. However, after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, diabetes, myopia, socioeconomic status, and steroid use, total alcohol consumption of over 2 standard drinks per day was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of cataract surgery, when compared to total daily alcohol consumption of 1 to 2 standard drinks (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-3.81). Abstinence from alcohol was also associated with increased likelihood of cataract surgery when compared to a total alcohol consumption of 1 to 2 standard drinks per day (adjusted OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.25–4.46).

Conclusion

A U-shaped association of alcohol consumption with the long-term risk of cataract surgery was found in this older cohort: moderate consumption was associated with 50% lower cataract surgery incidence, compared either to abstinence or heavy alcohol consumption.